


Loyalty Was Never A Question

by ValiantGinger



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Arthur Finds Out, Arthur Pendragon Is King, Awesome Gwen (Merlin), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Gen, Hurt Merlin, Hurt/Comfort, Magic Revealed, Protective Arthur, Season/Series 04, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-23
Updated: 2015-06-02
Packaged: 2018-03-03 00:24:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 27,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2831414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ValiantGinger/pseuds/ValiantGinger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Morgana gets her hands on something that puts Merlin in very serious danger. When Arthur's manservant goes missing, he can't help but be worried about him - worry that becomes legitimate when it becomes clear that Merlin is being used as a trap to lure Arthur in. Still, it's Merlin. How can he do anything but go and rescue him?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Merlin reveal fics are like crack. I'm reading whatever I can get my hands on, but it isn't enough, so I wrote my own.
> 
> You can find me on [Tumblr](http://www.valiantginger.tumblr.com), if you feel so inclined.

_Just because I like his relationship with Merlin, Lancelot is still alive in this, but otherwise it's set after Uther's death and Arthur becomes king._

* * *

Merlin woke up all at once in a panic, his arms jerking against the chains that bound him and his eyes flying open, trying to figure out where he was. It appeared to be a cage, and his situation became clearer as he started to focus on what was around him. He was hanging by his arms from the top of the cage, with only enough give to barely support his weight on the floor. He was sure this position would quickly exhaust him. The cage was large, and inside a room that might have been a castle dungeon, but Merlin knew it was not Camelot's dungeon. He wasn't sure where he was.

"Ah, you're awake," a familiar voice said pleasantly, thought the tone held a hint of animosity too intense to ignore.

Merlin's head whipped around, finding Morgana entering from the doorway behind him. "Morgana?" He asked, bewildered. The last thing he remembered was falling asleep in his own bed after making sure Arthur was settled for the night. "What have you done? Why am I here?" A sudden concern that he was not the only one in her clutches gripped him, and he sincerely hoped he was the only one she had taken captive.

Morgana did not look particularly healthy. In fact, a sort of crazed expression now permanently adorned her face, and her torn and ratty dress did nothing to provide her with the regal status she seemed to believe she was owed. "It's a bit of a funny story, Merlin," she replied conversationally. "I had you abducted during the night and brought to me so we could have a little chat. You see, I would hope that we could talk without any further lies, but perhaps that would be asking too much. After all, you lie to your friends more than anyone else."

Merlin hesitated, his eyes narrowing. Where was she going with this? "What do you want with me, Morgana?" He demanded. He reached for the comfort of his magic, just to reassure himself he wasn't helpless, but it was then that he realized he couldn't feel it. His eyes widened in horror even as he tried to school his expression.

Morgana was watching him closely, and she smirked at his distress. "Do you like the chains? I had them specially made. They imprison the wearer's magic so it cannot be accessed, and any attempts to use it result in horrendous torment. I find them extremely effective."

It was probably pointless, but Merlin couldn't help but try. "Why would you kidnap me and bind me up in such chains?" He asked, doing his best to sound confused.

Morgana laughed, seeming genuinely amused. "Let's start at the beginning, shall we? You see, young Merlin, I found a rather interesting artifact recently. You could call it a compass of sorts. It leads the user to the most powerful magic that is near at hand. Now, I am no fool. I am well aware that some form of magic has been protecting Arthur and Camelot these past years, and I tracked down this artifact with the hope of locating that particular magic user and convincing them of their misplaced loyalty." An ugly sneer crossed her face and she circled around to face Merlin head on. "Imagine my surprise when I entered Camelot - in disguise of course - only to have this artifact lead me directly to you, my brother's lap dog."

"It's a mistake," Merlin insisted, though he feared it was useless.

Chuckling, Morgana shook her head. "Now, that's what I thought, until I hid in the washroom and watched you complete a load of Arthur's laundry in mere seconds with your magic."

Merlin closed his eyes and felt his head tip back, a mixture of horror and chagrin sweeping through him. Hadn't Gaius always warned against him doing his chores with magic? He even knew the instance Morgana was speaking of, as it had only been yesterday. He wouldn't normally have risked it, but Arthur had needed more chores completed than usual because of addition training of new knights he was expected to prepare for, so Merlin had been busier than he otherwise should have been.

"All it took was a little coin in the right hands and I ended up with an unconscious sorcerer stolen from the heart of Camelot strung up before me," Morgana finished, looking him over appraisingly. "You have betrayed your kind, Merlin, not least of all myself. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I tried to help you," Merlin countered immediately, his eyes sad. "I was warned that you would be Camelot's greatest enemy, and yet I still tried to save you, Morgana. I lead you to the druids, did I not?"

"You let me think I was alone," Morgana hissed. "I was terrified, and all you did was pretend to be my friend and stab me in the back."

Merlin winced, knowing exactly what she meant. "I had to," he replied softly.

"You did not have to poison me!" Morgana shrieked, slapping the warlock across the face.

"You were the source of the sleeping curse on Camelot!" Merlin yelled back. "I had to stop it or all would have been lost! I'm the one who gave Morgause the ability to save you, so don't you dare make it seem like I wanted you dead. Morgause only stopped the attack in exchange for the ability to save you, but without you the attack would never have happened. I tried to help you, Morgana, but you were continually stepping outside my reach."

Morgana considered him for a moment, looking as though she was actually listening to his words. A beat later, however, she reached behind her back and pulled a coiled whip out of her belt, unfurling it with one sharp snap and eyeing him with a smirk. "Whatever you may believe about your intentions," she stated matter-of-factly, "you still betrayed me, Merlin. You betrayed your people by siding with the Pendragons. Arthur may be king, but nothing is better. Nothing will ever get better until I sit on the throne, and like it or not you will help me in that quest."

"You have noticed the fact that nobody's been burned at the stake since Arthur became king, right?" Merlin asked desperately. That was more due to lack of opportunity than anything else, but Merlin liked to hope that Arthur would be a gentler king than his father.

"It's only a matter of time," Morgana countered, shaking her head.

"What makes you think I'll help you?" Merlin demanded, his gaze bouncing back and forth between the whip and Morgana's half crazed eyes.

"It's simple," Morgana told him with a smirk. "Either you succumb to your torment and agree to join me, or I use you as bait to kill my dear brother and make you watch before killing you. Either way, I will come out on top."

"That will never happen," Merlin bit out, steeling himself for the bite of the whip he now knew was inevitable.

"We shall see." Morgana lifted her hand, and with a quick flick of her wrist tore open both Merlin's shirt and his back. The hiss the warlock managed to release instead of a scream was music to her ears.

* * *

Arthur had checked with everyone who could possibly know where Merlin had gotten to, and nobody had seen him. Gaius was clearly concerned but trying not to show it, and nobody else had seen Merlin since mid-afternoon the day before. Arthur himself had last seen Merlin after going to bed, and Gaius had confirmed that Merlin had made it back to the physician's quarters in one piece. So what had happened overnight that no resulted in the servant being nowhere to be found?

Lancelot seemed the most concerned, and had quickly become Arthur's right hand man in the questioning of everyone who might have had occasion to see the servant. They had moved from the castle to the lower town, but nobody seemed to have seen Merlin there either. Arthur was about to return to the castle when Lancelot emerged from the market with a shopkeeper at his side, the man nervously wringing a cap in his hands.

"Yes?" Arthur asked, a touch of his impatience seeping into his tone.

"Just tell him what you told me," Lancelot told the shopkeeper gently.

The shopkeeper took a deep breath, then blurted out his story. "Right, so last night I'm closing up, and it's not too late so I goes to get drinks with the lads, yeah? Only I don't want to get too sloshed, so I leave a little early and start to head home."

"Around midnight, correct?" Lancelot prompted.

The shopkeeper shrugged. "'Spose. I mean, I close up around nine and couldn't have been in the tavern for more than a couple hours. So, midnight's prob'ly close."

"All right, and?" Arthur asked, trying to urge the man back to his story.

"Right, so as I'm walking home, I sees this big burly guy walking through the lower town. The shadowy type, you know? He's quiet too, like way too quiet for his size, if you know what I mean. Anyway, I got right out of his way, but he was heading to the castle. Whatever he was here for, he didn't stay long, cause he went past me again before I even got home, and he was carrying some big sack with him." The shopkeeper hesitated, then added, "I 'spose I thought he might've been up to no good, but he was a big'un, and I didn't want to risk me wife not having a bread winner."

"Thank you for your information," Arthur thanked the man, motioning that he could leave, which the shopkeeper did eagerly. Turning to Lancelot, Arthur raised an eyebrow. "You think Merlin was kidnapped?" He asked incredulously. "Who would kidnap him? I mean, of all people in the castle, why Merlin?"

Lancelot gave Arthur a skeptical look. "Sire, only a fool would be unaware of the significance Merlin holds. Regardless of any friendship you might attempt to pretend does not exist, Merlin is your servant. That makes him valuable, and potentially a way to lure you into danger. It would hardly be the first time you've gone out to rescue him, and even without proof something's wrong, you've still spent the better part of the morning looking for him."

Arthur shifted uncomfortably, but nodded. "I suppose that is true," he admitted. "Should I be anticipating some kind of ultimatum or ransom demand, then?"

Lancelot shrugged. "That I don't know. Perhaps a patrol could look into it? I could take a few men who would be discreet about such a search to see if this man left any trace behind, and that way you will be free to perform your kingly duties. Should we find anything, we will let you know immediately."

Arthur nodded again, recognizing the wisdom in Lancelot's suggestion, despite his desire to go find Merlin himself. Pursing his lips, he asked, "Who do you want to take?" Before Lancelot could reply, he added, "Sir Leon is needed for a meeting today with some of the younger knights, so he would not be free for this venture."

Lancelot shook his head lightly. "I was planning to keep it small, sire. In addition to myself, perhaps simply Sir Gwaine and Sir Percival?"

Arthur smiled slightly. That's exactly who he'd have chosen to go after Merlin in lieu of himself. "That shouldn't be a problem. I believe they are both on the training grounds at the moment, so please locate them and head out as soon as you can. Report back whatever you find."

Lancelot bowed his head and took his leave of the king, hurrying to find his two friends. He had a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach, and if he had anything to say about it, then no harm would come to Merlin.

* * *

It had not been a short process, but Morgana had finally succeeded in getting the pained screams out of Merlin she wanted. The physical torment she inflicted grew more aggressive with each passing hour that he refused to answer any of her questions, but that was to be expected. She got the best results out of him when he was too exhausted from the whip to even register further pain. During those moments, she would use her magic to seal the wounds that wept blood. She didn't want him fading away entirely. There was also the added benefit of the cuffs he was chained in rendering the use of any magic on his body, even if it was not his own magic, excruciatingly painful. No matter how far gone the warlock seemed to be, a brief moment of Morgana sealing his wounds always brought him back around, a scream on his lips.

"How long do you plan to keep this up?" Merlin demanded, pleased with how strong his voice was despite how weak he felt.

"Until I get what I want," Morgana growled, preparing to strike with the whip once more.

Merlin shook his head sadly. "Then you'll have to kill me."

"We'll see," Morgana smirked, then the whip began to fly once more.

* * *

Arthur had had difficulty focusing on anything all day, but his tenuous hope left as soon as he saw Lancelot's face as the patrol returned that evening. "What news?" He demanded, ushering the three knights into the council room and shutting the door behind them. The room was empty now save for them, which was probably good considering how worried the king was right now.

Lancelot shook his head. "Sir Percival identified what we believed could have been a trail just outside of Camelot, but it proved to lead nowhere. It is possible that the man met someone, or that he simply was not responsible. We found nothing conclusive. We did some scouting out in various directions looking for signs, but nothing could be found. I'm sorry, sire. We could always go out again, perhaps in a different direction this time."

Arthur pursed his lips and shook his head. "No, that would be a waste of time," he admitted reluctantly. "If there's no trace, then there's no trace. I don't want to have the lot of you chasing around after nothing." He sighed and scratched absently at the back of his head, the motion remarkably similar to that of his missing servant. "I'll send out some additional patrols to scout out, just as a precaution, but it'll have to be part of the regular patrol schedule." He sighed heavily and rubbed at his eyes. "I'll talk to Gaius and see if he has any other ideas in the meantime."

"You're not giving up though," Gwaine stated, raising and eyebrow despite the fact that it hadn't been a question.

"No," Arthur said firmly. "I have no idea where he could have got to, but we are going to find him."

"I will advise the patrols of the trail we originally followed," Percival offered. "Perhaps they may see something if I give them a better idea of what to look for."

Arthur nodded in agreement. "Good idea, thank you Sir Percival. You may all go. I'm going to go find our physician." He gave a wry smile as the three knights turned to leave the room. He didn't really expect Gaius to know anything that could be helpful, but it was all he could think to do.


	2. Chapter 2

Merlin wouldn't have had any idea how much time had passed if Morgana didn't relish telling him exactly how long he'd been missing with no sign of a search party. Last time she'd brought it up, it had been four days since she'd taken him from his bed. He had no idea what exactly Morgana intended to accomplish with some of her actions against him, but he couldn't but think most of her tortures had more to do with her vindictive sense of justice than any hope of actually getting information from him. She had taken to using her magic to make him sleep every time she left him for the day, which he both hated and was grateful for. Getting to sleep at all helped him keep up his strength, but because she was using her magic to do it the first thing he felt upon waking up was excruciating pain from the enchanted chains.

Morgana strode into the room, nodding at Merlin in an almost casual greeting that denied the true fury he knew would show itself soon. "Day five, Merlin," she purred at him, raising an eyebrow as though daring him to present a challenge. She had taken great pleasure in informing the warlock that no one was looking for him, although she had noted the increase in patrols of late. None of them were anywhere near her hideaway, so as far as she was concerned, it was almost as if no one was looking. Morgana wasn't carrying any kind of weapon on her, for once, and that fact scared Merlin more than the whip had. He was well aware of Morgana's power, and with his own bound out of his reach, he was far more helpless than he was comfortable with.

"What are you planning today?" He asked warily, uncomfortably shifting as much as the chains would allow him.

Morgana's eyes glowed as she spat a spell at him, and Merlin couldn't help but scream as he felt one his fingers snap. Morgana grinned at the reaction her spell had caused. She stalked forward, smirking appreciatively at the tatters that were all that remained of Merlin's clothes, his body a horrifying mess of scars from the lashes of the whip. "I don't really expect you to give in, you know," she commented casually, reaching up to give the fractured finger a squeeze, earning a pained hiss from her captive.

"Then why are we still here?" Merlin demanded, his voice low and breathy as he tried to collect himself.

"I still hate you," Morgana admitted readily, shrugging slightly as she circled back around to face the warlock. "I have decided that it's time to exact some proper revenge on you - after all, you don't need all those bones, do you?" Her tone was the very definition of sarcastic as she asked. "In two days, a peasant I've enchanted will arrive in Camelot with a special message for my brother. I always knew you were useless, Merlin, but at least this way you can serve a function that will actually help me. It's about time that Arthur met his end."

Merlin knew for a fact that it was not Morgana's destiny to kill Arthur, but she clearly didn't know that, and he wouldn't put it past destiny to screw him over regardless of prophecy. He would do whatever it took to keep Arthur from falling into Morgana's trap, but bound as he was, he really didn't have many options.

"Don't worry," Morgana told him, her voice sickly sweet as she noted the worried expression on the warlock's face. "You'll be seeing your dear prince very soon." With that, Morgana hissed her early spell at him once more, and Merlin felt more than heard the scream rip from his throat as another bone in his hand shattered.

* * *

Arthur was in the council room pretending to concentrate on the report being given to him, but if the look Lancelot was giving him was any indication then he was fooling no one.

The doors to the room flew open with a bang, and Arthur looked up immediately, grateful for the distraction. He was puzzled to see a peasant boy who couldn't have been much older than fifteen or so walk into the room unaccompanied.

"Who are you?" Arthur asked, holding up a hand to stay the guards who had started moving towards the intruder without any prompting.

Without warning, the young man's eyes suddenly glowed and he began to speak in a monotone, with no seeming awareness of his words. "Arthur Pendragon, you will leave your city and ride due East until you come to a stream flowing between two full grown trees marked with your crest. You will complete this task alone, and wait at the stream for further instructions."

Arthur's eyes narrowed, though the clear enchantment at work bothered him less than he thought it probably should. "Why would I obey such orders?" He asked warily, unsure he wanted to know the answer.

"If you do not do exactly as instructed, you will be responsible for the consequences," the boy intoned ominously, his hand sticking out almost mechanically to present what looked like a lump of red cloth towards Arthur.

The king moved forward himself to retrieve the cloth, his heart plummeting in fear that it might be what he thought it was. It only took a brief movement of unfolding the cloth to see that it was indeed Merlin's neck scarf, and it was stained all over with blood. Had it not been for the sharp intake of breath from Gaius behind him, Arthur might have forgotten that anyone else was even in the room. His servant had been missing for a week, and Arthur had already been worried. Now he was willing to admit that he was terrified, and he still didn't understand why or how Merlin had been taken in the first place.

"You will leave within the hour," the boy declared before collapsing on the floor, the enchantment apparently evaporating. A moment later he blinked, sitting up with a puzzled expression on his face. "What happened?" He asked cautiously, looking upset.

Arthur squeezed the bridge of his nose with his free hand, closing his eyes briefly as he clutched Merlin's scarf in his other hand. "Gaius, please examine this boy and ensure he is in no further danger from the magical influence on him. Once you are satisfied, please ensure he has a way to get home and join me back here." Opening his eyes, he made sure Gaius was moving before addressing everyone else. "Sir Lancelot and Sir Gwaine, you will remain here with me. Everyone else may leave, but I need guards to go find Sir Leon, Sir Percival, and Sir Elyan and bring them all to me." He hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should involve Guinevere, but eventually he shook his head once and nodded at the guards. "Go, now please."

As soon as the room was clear, Lancelot stepped forward with a dark expression on his face. "You aren't going alone, your highness," he declared firmly.

"What he said," Gwaine repeated in agreement. "Even if it wasn't stupid, Merlin's our friend too."

"I know," Arthur agreed. "We need a plan, and we need a plan fast. You obviously can't accompany me directly. This enemy clearly has magic, and I'm not risking Merlin's life on the hope that I can outwit some sorcerer."

"So what's the plan?" Gwaine demanded.

Arthur opened his mouth to respond, but the three knights he had sent for arrived before he could reply. "Ah, good, you're here." Arthur quickly explained what had happened in the council room, holding up Merlin's scarf as evidence as he spoke. As he finished his story, Gaius returned, completing the council Arthur so urgently needed to come up with a plan.

"Well, obviously you'll need back up, sire," Elyan offered as Arthur concluded. "What's the plan?"

Gaius answered first. "If I may, sire?" When Arthur nodded eagerly, Gaius continued, "Our king must follow these instructions alone, that much is clear. However, there is no reason the knights cannot follow after if a trail is left behind. Your highness, if you are careful, the knights can follow at a later time, thus ensuring if something happens to you, a rescue party is on its way."

Everyone was quiet for a moment, then Gwaine shrugged and nodded. "I say we do it," he agreed. "It's not like we've got any better options."

"Be ready to follow me within the hour," Arthur commanded, straightening to leave the room. "I'm leaving now, and you can follow the first leg of instructions as easily as I can. I will leave marks in trees along whatever path I take from the stream. I have confidence in your ability to locate me if necessary." Hesitating briefly, Arthur turned to Gaius, his tone gentle. "Gaius, could you prepare a bag for me to take with precautionary medical supplies? I would rather be prepared...in case..." He trailed off, not wanting to be indelicate, but Gaius clearly understood.

"Of course, sire. I will meet you in the stables in a few moments with some supplies. Merlin knows how to use them all, but if necessary, you should be able to make do." The unspoken option was the danger of Merlin not being conscious to use them, but neither spoke the concern aloud.

* * *

Arthur supposed he should be grateful that he had located the stream would any trouble and in less than three hours, but he could any be antsy due to the lack of any further direction as soon as he arrived. He occupied himself by examining the crests that had been engraved in the trees. It had been done with such precision that Arthur didn't doubt it had been done with magic, as no knife he knew of was capable of that level of detail.

"Arthur Pendragon," a young girl's voice intoned.

The young king whirled to see a second enchanted peasant before him, looking exactly as lifeless as the first. "What do I do next?" He demanded.

"Continue Northeast at your current pace until dusk," the girl informed him. "You will know when you are in the right place." With this declaration, the girl vanished.

Arthur gaped at the empty space for a moment, not sure how to react, before realizing that he was wasting time. Dusk was only a few hours away, and he was eager for this whole ordeal to be over. His councilors had been upset with him this whole past week, but he couldn't focus on anything without his best friend by his side. Turning to the tree with the crest that was closest, Arthur pulled out a knife and engraved an abbreviated version of the instructions below the crest. Hopefully that would be enough to help the knights who came behind him. He felt sure that "NE 3+ hrs" was easily deciphered.

With that done, Arthur remounted his horse and urged it on. It was time to find his manservant.

* * *

Morgana had left Merlin alone for most of the day, and the dull pain aching through the warlock's shattered hands was more than enough to prevent him from any kind of rest. She had spent the majority of the previous two days breaking all the little bones that made up his hands individually, with far more pain and intensity than he would have thought possible. It would be a miracle if he could ever use his hands again. If he was free, then he was fairly confident that he could repair some of the damage, but fully restoring his hands would be a miracle. Perhaps Kilgarrah could help, but Merlin had no way to reach the dragon while bound in the chains.

As if summoned by the thought of her absence, Morgana strode into the room with a level of pride normally reserved for peacocks. "He is almost here," she declared gleefully.

Merlin wasn't sure what to make of that. On one hand, he was ecstatic that Arthur had apparently dropped everything to come find him. It was a warm feeling, and he quite enjoyed it. One the other hand, he was terrified that this day would end in Arthur's death and the end of Merlin's destiny. And on still another hand, though Merlin knew no one with more than two hands, Morgana had the ability to reveal Merlin's magic to Arthur. That was a terrifying prospect even now, despite the fact that Merlin knew fairly confidently that Arthur would never have him killed. He was perhaps most afraid of banishment for his lies. If he wasn't in Camelot, he couldn't protect the young king, his best friend, and he could think of little worse.

Morgana read the emotions passing over the warlock's face with mild interest. "I think I'll have a bit of fun while he's here," she mused, glancing over at Merlin with a cruel gleam in her eye. "He always was abnormally fond of you. Perhaps a day or two of hearing your bones shatter in your feet will be a suitable torture."

Merlin knew he had blanched, but he couldn't focus very clearly on Morgana's words between his concern for Arthur and the throbbing pain in his hands. Inwardly, he prayed to whoever might listen that somehow Arthur would avoid Morgana's trap.


	3. Chapter 3

Arthur was no fool. It was only partway into the second leg of his journey that he realized exactly where he was being led. He had no idea what the ruin was called, but an old dilapidated fortress lay in this part of the forest, and he was sure that it was to this ruin he was being led. If that was the case, he was no going to ride straight up to it. That would require deviating from the path, but with a brief moment taken to carve the word ruin into a tree, Arthur turned his horse. If he was to have any hope of saving Merlin, he would have to defy the expectation of whoever believed he could be so easily strung along.

The horse had to be left behind when Arthur got closer to the ruin, but he made sure to secure the animal before creeping towards the ruin, looking for an entrance that did not show signs of use. He wanted to surprise his adversary. In the end, he stumbled on what he was looking for quite by accident, but he didn't object to a bit of luck now and then. The door hidden underneath some fallen rock appeared to lead to the bowels of the ruin, perhaps what had once been a dungeon. With as much subtlety as he could manage, Arthur opened the door and climbed down into the dark, hoping against hope that this where he would find Merlin.

It only took a moment for Arthur to know he was correct. As soon as his eyes adjusted and he moved forward he could see the flicker of torchlight. Moving towards it with stealth, his hand near his sword in readiness, Arthur soon found what must have been the main room. He was nearly frozen from his first glance at it. The room was dominated by a cage, and in the center of that cage was his best friend, chained by his hands to the top of the cage and looking barely alive. Perhaps even worse was the fact that the tormentor circling him was Morgana. Arthur really should have guessed it would be her, but seeing her inflicting such pain on his manservant was still shocking.

It was then that Arthur realized Morgana was talking. Creeping closer while still remaining out of sight, Arthur strained to hear what exactly his witch of a sister had been expecting to achieve with this plan.

"He should have been here by now," Morgana commented offhandedly, giving Merlin an irritated look as though Arthur's tardiness was somehow his fault. "Perhaps he changed his mind."

"Mmmm," Merlin replied noncommittally.

"You're really awful for conversation," Morgana sniped at her captive, scowling.

Merlin managed to generate enough presence of mind to focus on her and give her an incredulous look. "Seriously?" He gasped out.

Morgana chuckled at that. "With the level of pain you're in from your hands, I'm shocked you're still conscious actually," she pointed out. "I suppose I must give you some kind of commendation for your strength."

Arthur didn't have a clear enough look to know what Morgana had done to Merlin's hands, but he knew that despite how the boy was teased, Merlin did have a ridiculously high pain tolerance. If he was this far out of it, whatever Morgana had done was truly inhuman.

"You can't trick Arthur," Merlin informed Morgana with difficulty, smiling with a satisfied look on his face.

Morgana snorted. "You did," she spat at him. "For oh so many years, you've tricked everyone. What makes you think I can't take advantage of my fool of a brother just as you have?"

Arthur managed to glance into the room just in time to see Merlin's expression in response to that barb. He looked furious, as though he had been personally insulted.

"Arthur is not a fool!" Merlin protested, his voice stronger with anger. "I didn't trick him."

Morgana laughed out loud. "Oh, that's rich! What do you call lying to him for all these years?"

Arthur almost missed the reply, Merlin's words were so quiet. "Self preservation," the servant muttered. Slightly louder he added, "but that doesn't mean every part of my life in Camelot hasn't been real. You're the one who hid behind a mask and betrayed us all, not me."

Arthur was inclined to agree, but he wasn't sure exactly what Morgana was accusing Merlin of in the first place.

"Uther would have killed me for my magic," Morgana hissed at her captive. "I did what I had to survive until such time as I could make my move to secure my throne."

"It isn't yours!" Merlin yelled, the strength in his voice surprising Arthur. "You don't think I've lived in fear too? I knew I could be killed for who I was, but I didn't turn that fear into a weapon to destroy anyone I felt had wronged me like a vindictive child!" Arthur was shocked at the intensity of Merlin's anger. He had rarely heard the servant yell like that, let alone at someone who had the ability to kill him.

"You hid your magic away and stood by while innocent people were murdered!" Morgana berated him, fury clear in both expression and tone.

Arthur was frozen once more, unable to process what he'd just heard, but Merlin was by no means unable to respond. "I protected what I could when I could," he replied, calmer than his verbal opponent. "Arthur was always my priority. You've never understood that."

"You're right about that," Morgana sneered. "I can't even begin to fathom why you would so religiously protect the very people who would see you dead in a heartbeat."

Arthur waited with baited breath to hear Merlin's response to that. He wasn't entirely sure what he was feeling, but if Merlin really did have magic, then why on earth was he in Camelot?

"Arthur is destined to be the greatest king Albion has ever seen," Merlin replied, the fervor and honesty in his voice more powerful than anything Arthur had ever heard.

Morgana laughed out loud. "You really think your precious Arthur would spare you after you lied to him for all these years? Think of all you've hidden, Merlin. Poisoning me, for starters, but you've been responsible for many deaths."

"I tried to prevent as much death as possible," Merlin said quietly, his voice filled with such pain that Arthur risked a look into the room to make sure Morgana hadn't done anything additional to torment his servant. The look on Merlin's face spoke purely of sorrow.

"You were the one who released the dragon," Morgana suddenly declared, a grin on her face. "No one else could have known he was there - it had to have been you."

Arthur knew his mouth was hanging open, and he felt it slam shut in anger as he caught sight of the expression of pure guilt on Merlin's face.

"You're right," Merlin sighed. "That was my fault. Only because I swore on my mother's life to free him though, and I only did that because I needed his help to save Camelot from the spell that your sister had placed on it!" The irritation was clear in his voice, which Arthur felt grateful for if only because it meant that his servant was able to overcome the pain he was in.

Morgana sighed heavily, shaking her head. "Still, Merlin, all those innocent lives lost." She clicked her tongue patronizingly. "You really think Arthur will forgive you for all you've done?"

Arthur himself was curious what the answer to that question was, and he was surprised to see how broken Merlin looked.

"I never expected anything," Merlin replied quietly. "All I ever wanted was to keep him safe. Regardless of what that means for me." He sighed and his head bowed slightly, the weight of his pain once more piercing his concentration.

Arthur wasn't sure how he was supposed to be feeling right now, but the surge he felt within to protect Merlin and remove Morgana from the equation overrode everything else. It was this that led him to the conclusion that he was not upset with Merlin for being a sorcerer. He wasn't entirely sure he believed it, but he wasn't upset about it. He was upset about the fact that he had never been told. That he was certain of, but the clear fact that Merlin seemed to believe Arthur capable of harming him for his powers for even a moment bothered Arthur the most. In that second, Arthur decided a few things very quickly. First, he was going to dispatch Morgana by whatever means necessary. Second, he was going to rescue Merlin and get him somewhere safe. Third, he was not going to tell Merlin anything about his discovery until the servant had healed. Confident in his decisions, Arthur then set about planning exactly how to take Morgana off guard.

"You are the strangest sorcerer I've ever met," Morgana mused. "Definitely the must suicidal."

Merlin didn't bother to correct her, even though sorcerer wasn't technically right. He merely met her gaze steadily, doing his best to ignore his hands.

"In any case, I'm going to go see what's become of our king," Morgana said sarcastically. "One way or another I plan to see you both dead today, and neither of you are getting out of it."

Merlin relaxed as she stalked out the room, letting his eyes drift close and the tears he had been holding back escape. Part of it was pain from his various tortures, but part of it was emotional as well. Morgana was a skilled fighter when it came to using emotional weapons.

Arthur was tempted to be elated by his good fortune that Morgana had simply left the ruin, but he knew that if he didn't take immediate advantage of it, the opportunity would be wasted. Hurrying forward and through the door of the cage, he lightly placed his hands on either side of Merlin's face and lifted the servant's head, wincing as he saw the escaping tears. "Merlin, are you still awake?"

Merlin's eyes flew open, a mixture of excitement and terror swirling in them. "Arthur?" He breathed, his tone disbelieving.

"C'mon, I need to get you down before she comes back." Arthur looked up, noting the engraved chains. Clearly they were designed to prevent Merlin from using his magic somehow. That couldn't be healthy if the way Merlin looked was any indication, so that had to be his first step.

Merlin seemed nervous. "How long have you been here?" He asked hesitantly, looking wary.

Arthur realized with a pang that Merlin was afraid that he had overheard the conversation with Morgana. "I just snuck in," he lied, trying to ignore the pang he felt when Merlin visibly relaxed.

"I'm lucky she didn't catch you," the servant muttered. At Arthur's raised eyebrow, Merlin clarified, "She wanted to break the bones in my feet and make you listen."

Arthur knew the horror was showing on face, but he couldn't help it. "Are...are there keys for these?" He managed to ask.

Merlin shook his head. "I don't know. I woke up like this. Can you try breaking the chain with your sword?"

Arthur unsheathed his sword, preparing to do just that when he noticed the odd nature of Merlin's hands. "What's wrong with your hands?" He asked, eyes wide.

Merlin winced. "The bones are all broken." He swallowed uncomfortably. "She did it with magic when she got bored of the whip."

Arthur had been purposefully ignoring the state of his servant's body, but the comment forced his attention back to the tattered clothes and scarred body. "I'll kill her," Arthur declared, his voice low and angry.

"I'd settle for escaping," Merlin replied mildly, nodding towards the chains.

Arthur hesitated. "I'm sorry, Merlin, there's no way for me to do this without you getting hurt. There's no way to protect your hands."

Merlin shook his head. "It's fine, Arthur. Please, just try."

Steadying himself, Arthur drew back his sword and swung forward, hitting the chain connected to the top of the cage and wincing as Merlin collapsed to the floor with a cry. "Are you all right?" The king demanded, immediately moving to take a closer look at his servant, concern flooding his expression.

Merlin took a moment to reply, gritting his teeth and doing his best to ignore the tears that were falling against his will. "Can...is there...please, the cuffs, please get them off."

His servant didn't explain, but Arthur knew that the enchanted cuffs were hurting him, and he wasn't going to waste any time. One cuff was already cracked, so Arthur pulled his knife out and wedged it into the space, leveraging the crack until the cuff snapped, falling off of Merlin's right wrist.

Merlin had to bite back a cry at the pressure, but he could feel the relief as the cuff fell away. He immediately presented his left wrist to Arthur, begging with his eyes for the king to finish the job.

Arthur didn't know much about magic, especially when it came to Merlin, but he was fairly certain that the enchanted cuffs were weakened with one removed, because the second was far more easily removed. Seeing the cursed cuffs off of Merlin's wrists was a huge relief for Arthur, and he immediately reached forward to pick up the servant.

"What are you doing?" Merlin asked warily.

"I'm carrying you, what does it look like?" Arthur replied sarcastically. "You're injured. I don't care if you can walk, I'm carrying you out of this place. There's a medicine bag with my horse, so hopefully there's something in there that can fix your hands."

"What about Morgana?" Merlin asked, not protesting again as Arthur scooped him up and began to move towards the entrance he'd found earlier.

"I'll handle her," Arthur replied, his tone leaving no doubt that his sister would not be leaving this battle in one piece.


	4. Chapter 4

It was a welcome surprise to find his knights right where Arthur had left his horse. Gwaine had rushed forward to take Merlin from the king's arms, laying the servant down gently and supporting him as Arthur went to retrieve the medicine bag.

"Merlin, I don't know what any of this is, so you're going to have to help me out here," Arthur told his servant, smiling at the look Merlin gave him in response.

"Binding my hands will help, I think," Merlin offered. "The bones won't grate so much, until Gaius can tell me if there's anything to be done."

"Of course we'll fix it," Gwaine told him brusquely. "Don't worry, you'll be fine."

Merlin clearly didn't believe that, but didn't argue with the knight. "Show me the potions he gave you - I can tell if there's anything in there for the pain."

It took a few tries, but thankfully Gaius had included something to help with pain. As soon as Merlin had gulped it down he began to relax, and Lancelot took the bandages from Arthur's hands.

"I'll take care of his hands," Lancelot said quietly. "Go find Morgana, sire."

Arthur's expression darkened and he nodded. "Sir Lancelot, as soon as he is all right to travel I want you on your way back to Camelot without delay, is that understood? The rest of us will follow soon after."

Merlin's eyes flew open from where they had drifted closed and he shook his head. "No! You can't go after her unprotected!"

For once, Arthur knew full well what he meant, but he hid that understanding with a smile and a joke. "I'm not unprotected, Merlin. I have four of Camelot's finest knights here with me. Sir Lancelot here will protect you, and the rest of us will follow as soon as we can."

Merlin did not look reassured, but Arthur hurried off before he could continue to protest.

"Lancelot!" Merlin started, but the knight held up a hand.

"Let me bind your hands, then we'll discuss whether or not we need to leave quite so immediately, all right?" Lancelot smiled softly at his friend, who relaxed as soon as he realized Lancelot wasn't going to make him abandon Arthur.

Binding Merlin's hands was not a painless process, but the warlock felt a lot better with his fingers immobilized. It still hurt, but it wasn't the torment it had been. "Lancelot," Merlin began, "Morgana has lost any grip she ever had on a sense of decency. We can't let Arthur face her, not without me to back him up."

"Are you all right to do magic?" Lancelot asked tentatively, his eyes drifting to Merlin's ruined hands.

Merlin smiled softly. "I don't need my hands," he answered. "I just need to protect him."

* * *

Morgana emerged from the ruin before Arthur had even reached it, scowling as she spotted the knights behind him. "Arthur Pendragon, unable to follow simple instructions. What part of come alone made so little sense to you?"

"You are alone by choice, Morgana. I still have loyal friends, as does Merlin." Arthur tightened his grip on his sword, debating the benefits of just charging his sister and seeing what happened.

"Ha!" Morgana laughed out loud, rolling her eyes. "Yes, Merlin. Why you even bothered to come for him I'll never know. It isn't like he deserves it, after all he's-"

"Morgana," Arthur cut her off sharply. "No matter what you think you can say to damage my friendships, I assure you that you know nothing of what those bonds are forged of. Do not waste your breath." Arthur intended to ensure Merlin no longer had to live in fear, but until then, Morgana did not get to be the one to reveal his friend's secret for him.

"Are you so eager to die, brother?" Morgana snarled at him.

"I am eager to be done with the curse on my kingdom you have become," Arthur corrected. "No more will you inflict harm on the people I care about."

Morgana chuckled. "It really is adorable that you believe you can defeat me." Her eyes glowed as she thrust a hand towards Arthur, a spell crossing her lips with a vengeful anger.

Arthur tensed in preparation to dodge whatever was coming, only to see what looked like orange lightning dissipate in front of him as though striking an invisible barrier. The knights behind him murmured, but certainly didn't object. Arthur had already instructed them to allow him to challenge Morgana alone, though they were unhappy about it.

"NO!" Morgan screeched, hurling another spell at her brother, only to watch that one fail as well.

Arthur knew exactly what was going on, and he didn't doubt Morgana did too. Arthur needed to have a word with Lancelot about following orders, apparently. Still, he couldn't say the protection wasn't welcome. Confident in the knowledge he was being shielded, Arthur ran forward and lunged with his sword at Morgana, narrowly missing her as she leaped to the side.

"I apparently can't hit you with my magic," Morgana pointed out desperately. "That makes me helpless, and it would be wrong to attack me!"

"You are hardly helpless, Morgana," Arthur replied with a roll of his eyes. "The only difference I see is that I have better protection than you do." The second swipe of his sword managed to catch Morgana in the side, causing her to stumble back in shock.

The shock was quickly replaced with rage, and Morgana snatched a branch off the ground, enchanting it swiftly into a sword comparable to Arthur's. She may have been knocked off balance for a moment, but it didn't last long."We shall see who triumphs," she hissed, swinging viciously at the king's head.

Arthur immediately parried, stepping into what he knew was his best skill. Fighting against magic was one thing, but when it came to swordplay there was no one better. Still, Morgana had rage on her side, and anger is a powerful motivator. Despite his superior skill, the fight was challenging.

Morgana had always been skilled with a sword, despite their father's efforts to keep her from the battlefield. If there was one thing Morgana could be called above all else, it was stubborn. In their youth, Arthur had frequently been coerced into sword fights with his half sister. He always won, but Morgana made him work for it. This battle was no exception. Any remnant of the mirth that filled their childhood battles was gone, leaving behind a tormented soul who knew nothing but anger and pain.

"Please, Morgana, stop this!" Arthur pleaded, side-stepping a particularly skilled swipe of Morgana's sword and moving his own up to defend against her next motion. "What do you hope to gain in this pointless quest for revenge?"

Morgana growled at Arthur's attempts to reason with her, choosing instead to thrust forward with her sword towards Arthur's shoulder. Screaming with frustration as Arthur blocked her sword with a loud clanging sound, she backed up a pace or two and hissed under her breath. "Pointless?" She demanded. "You think restitution for the crimes against my people is pointless?"

Arthur took advantage of her minor retreat to adjust his stance and take in his half-sister's position, wary of her next attack. "Morgana, I intend to change things in Camelot, to make it a safe place for all my subjects. So long as you insist on murdering innocents and taking over a kingdom that does not belong to you, you are not included in that future."

Morgana laughed, a frightening cackle that sounded nothing like the charming amusement she'd once shown within Camelot. "All Pendragons are liars who create fear among their people!" She snarled, refusing to even entertain the notion of a changed Camelot. "I deserve to be queen, and no purported changes from your reign will negate the fact that the throne is mine!"

Sorrowful at the response, expected though it was, Arthur nodded his understanding and raised his sword. "Then you leave me no choice, Morgana. You cannot be allowed to continue to rain down terror on this land."

Ignoring his words, Morgana charged forward, aiming for Arthur's neck in a wide and unskilled swing that was clearly a product of her rage, not her swordsmanship.

Ducking under the blow with ease, Arthur's feet danced with expertly practiced footwork as he moved around Morgana, blocking her attempt to swing out at him again, then twisting with his blade until her's was wrenched from her hand.

Morgana twisted away and stuck out a hand, muttering an incantation that drew her sword back to her hand in an instant, and she immediately moved back into a position of challenge towards Arthur, her emotions settling back down to allow her skill to come out again.

Arthur groaned at the sight, upset by the endless war between them. He hated having to fight Morgana, but it needed to be done.

"Tiring, brother?" Morgana taunted, lunging forward and barely missing Arthur's head for the second time.

Arthur ducked again and was forced to block three quick strikes in succession. "Of your petty attempts to insult me?" Arthur asked, "Yes, actually."

Morgana scoffed and swung forward, aiming for Arthur's middle. Arthur matched the aim, knowing he would only block the blow, not actually strike his sister. At the last moment however, to the shock of both parties, Morgana dropped her sword with a scream, which was quickly choked off as Arthur's sword pierced her through the middle. Arthur glanced down just in time to see the hilt of Morgana's sword slowly fading from a burning orange to the natural metal. Arthur spared a moment to realize that Merlin had interfered in the fight once again, despite his injuries.

All was quiet for a moment, as everyone stared at the sudden wound with surprise. Morgana fell back, and everything quickly sprung back into action. Arthur moved immediately to Morgana's head, laying her back and taking her hand.

"I regret that things ended this way," Arthur told her earnestly.

"I regret not killing you," Morgana choked at him, her eyes wet.

Arthur sighed, but stayed with his sister as she breathed her last. The moment he knew her to be gone, he retrieved his sword, cleaning it quickly on the grass beside them. "Sir Leon, Sir Percival, Sir Elyan, please prepare a pyre for her. We have no way to transport her back to Camelot, but I will not leave her body here to decompose."

The knights nodded and moved off quickly, gathering wood as they went.

Looking up towards the treeline, Arthur called out, "Sir Lancelot, Merlin, you can come out now."

It took a moment, but the two men finally moved into view, greeted by Gwaine's laughter at their audacity.

As Merlin reached Arthur, he shrugged in explanation. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Thank you," Arthur said seriously. Were it not for the shield and Morgana's unexpected dropping of her blade, things could have gone very differently. At Merlin's quizzical look, Arthur ammended, "I mean, I would likely have been lost had my good luck charm decided to do what he was told for once."

Merlin grinned at that, and Arthur decided that the potion the servant had taken for pain must have been quite effective.

"As soon as we have taken care of Morgana's body we will return home," Arthur informed Lancelot. "Sir Gwaine," he called getting the knight's attention. "I want you to accompany Sir Lancelot and Merlin back to Camelot. I want Gaius to see Merlin as soon as possible. The others and I will finish up here and follow you."

"Yes, sire," Lancelot agreed, motion for Gwaine to follow him. Merlin went without protest this time, which Arthur assumed was because there was no longer an imminent threat to the king's life.

With a sigh, Arthur turned to help the remaining three knights gather wood. It was time to say a final farewell to his once sister.


	5. Chapter 5

Thankfully the knights had spared the king their questions on the way back to Camelot. They had ridden hard and caught up with Lancelot, Gwaine, and Merlin as they grew closer to the city, and Arthur rode alongside Lancelot at the front of the group, watching Merlin to ensure the servant was not experiencing any further pain. They had ridden through the night, and dawn was quickly approaching as they traveled closer to the city.

"We're nearly there," Arthur told him confidently. "Gaius will have you all fixed up in no time."

Merlin clearly didn't believe him, but nodded and smiled in thanks for the effort.

The ride was uneventful, which after the events they'd survived was more than welcome. Arthur left the knights with the horses in order to accompany Lancelot in getting Merlin up the steps and into Gaius' chambers.

"Sire?" Gaius questioned, seeing Arthur first upon the door opening. When Lancelot and Merlin came into view behind him, the physician was on his feet in an instant, hurrying to help Merlin over to the cot to sit down.

"Sir Lancelot, please ensure he is comfortable." Arthur instructed. "Gaius, I will leave you to take care of Merlin's injuries in a moment, but I have something important to tell you first."

Gaius looked wary, but nodded in acknowledgement and followed the king into the hall.

Arthur ensured no one was around to overhear, then moved closer to the physician and spoke quickly. "Gaius, I don't want you to be concerned, and I don't want you to tell Merlin about this conversation, all right?"

"As you wish, sire," Gaius agreed, still looking concerned. "What is it you wish to tell me?"

"Merlin was badly injured by Morgana," Arthur informed him. "It is unlikely he can be put right by normal means."

Gaius immediately looked cautious, asking, "What are you saying, sire?"

"Gaius, I know Merlin has magic," Arthur informed him quietly, feeling that familiar pang in his heart when Gaius immediately blanched with panic. "No harm will befall him, I swear," Arthur added urgently, willing the physician to believe him and relax.

Nodding slowly, Gaius asked, "If you don't want Merlin to know, why tell me?"

"I know that there may be ways to help him that are magical in nature," Arthur informed him. "I do not know what resources you or he may have at your disposal, but there must be something. I need you to know that I know of Merlin's magic so that you understand how serious I am when I say that you have my full permission to use whatever means are necessary to heal him of his injuries." Arthur's tone was firm and allowed no room for argument.

Gaius looked him over for a moment speculatively, then nodded once. "You will tell him you know?" He asked.

"As soon as he has overcome his injuries," Arthur promised. "We are due a long conversation, but I won't subject him to that while he's in this state."

Gaius smiled warmly and nodded, apparently willing now to believe that Arthur truly wanted to prevent further harm from coming to his servant. "Very well. I shall do everything I can, and ensure he does as well."

"Good. Can I do anything to help? Sir Lancelot can be assigned a task if you need assistance getting him out of the way, for discretion's sake," Arthur offered. It occurred to him that Lancelot may well have already discovered that Merlin had magic during the battle with Morgana. If he hadn't noticed, then he was far more oblivious than Arthur gave him credit for.

"That won't be necessary, sire," Gaius shook his head. "Our noble knight has known of Merlin's magic since his first visit to Camelot. I may need his assistance in any case, and Merlin will not begrudge him his desire to help."

Arthur wasn't sure what his face looked like, but he knew that he felt slighted that Lancelot knew, but Merlin had never revealed his secret to Arthur. Was his relationship with Lancelot that much stronger, or was it simply the fact that Arthur was king that kept Merlin from speaking his secret?

As usual, Gaius was able to read Arthur's expression easily. "Not that it really matters, sire, but Merlin did not tell Sir Lancelot his secret. He hasn't actually told anyone, that I'm aware of. Sir Lancelot is simply far more observant than Merlin gave him credit for."

Strangely, that did make Arthur feel better. He still knew the seed of resentment that Merlin had never told him was within him, but it helped that there wasn't someone else Merlin had trusted enough to tell. "I will leave you now, then," Arthur replied with a nod. "If you need anything, or are able to take care of his injuries, please let me know immediately."

"Of course, sire." Gaius gave a bow and opened the door again, disappearing into his chambers to speak with Merlin.

With a relieved sigh, Arthur headed down the hall to find his knights. He needed to hold a council and discuss some important matters of state.

* * *

 

Merlin was finding that his pain was reawakening, but Lancelot was doing a good job of redirecting his attention and keeping his mind occupied whenever it seemed like he might succumb to that pain. Gaius looked remarkably pleased about something, but hadn't responded to questions about his good mood, and was occupying himself with mixing a balm for the wounds that littered Merlin's body.

When the physician came over to apply the balm he had to help Lancelot remove the tattered clothing from Merlin's body. The sheer number of whip marks caused Gaius to gasp in horror and Lancelot to wince in sympathy. 

"It's all right," Merlin said quietly. "Just do what you can."

Gaius didn't reply, but began liberally applying the balm wherever he could. The numbing agent in this particular recipe seemed to work almost immediately, causing some of the tension to leave his patient.

"We need to discuss the damage to your hands," Gaius finally said as he rubbed the last of the balm into a lash mark on Merlin's thigh.

"I'm not sure what can be done," Merlin admitted.

Gaius made a thoughtful noise, tossing a glance at Lancelot before announcing, "I have been told in no uncertain terms that nothing is off limits in regards to restoring your health."

Merlin raised an eyebrow, confused. "Who said that?" He asked.

"Arthur," Gaius revealed, clearly pleased with that fact.

Merlin was sure he looked shocked, but he couldn't seem to compose his face. "He-"

"He specifically alluded to the use of magic if it could be used to heal your hands," Gaius informed him frankly. "So, if you have any ideas, you are more than welcome to share."

Merlin couldn't get past the fact that Arthur had all but ordered Gaius to use magic to make him better. He was fairly certain that this was by far the most concern and care that the king had ever demonstrated towards him, and he almost felt his eyes water at the thought. Doing his best to control himself, Merlin hesitated before offering his suggesting. "I think Kilgarrah is my best option," he admitted.

Lancelot raised an eyebrow. "That is the dragon, is it not?" He asked warily.

"I would need your help to get to a place where I can call him," Merlin replied, affirming the knight's assumption.

"I will do whatever is needed to help you heal," Lancelot pledged. "Shall we leave at once?"

"Not before I get another pain relieving potion into you," Gaius stopped them. "Riding horseback could exacerbate your problems. The balm will help with your wounds, but the potion is the best I can do for your hands."

"Thank you, Gaius." Merlin replied quietly, taking a swig from the little bottle Gaius retrieved and held up for him.

"Of course, my boy," Gaius dismissed. "I look forward to seeing you when you return."


	6. Chapter 6

Arthur had gathered the members of the council he trusted the most, along with with his best knights freshly returned from the mission to save Merlin. The group had filled up the spaces at the table except two, leaving on space open on the king's right, which Arthur intended to fill with Merlin as soon as his servant was healed, and a space by Gwaine, which normally belonged to Lancelot. He turned to look at Guinevere on his left, who was looking at him already with a curious gaze. He hadn't had a chance to tell anyone what he wanted to discuss, as the decision had been made quite suddenly. He needed council, which is what the round table was for. Clearing his throat, he waited until everyone had quieted before beginning.

"For those who are not aware, the knights and I recently returned from a battle with my half-sister, Morgana Pendragon." Arthur was overly formal when speaking of his now deceased sibling. He had never truly understood what had befallen her, and he did not wish to debate her nature in this meeting. It was best if they crossed over this part as quickly as possible.

There were a few murmurs from those who had not yet heard the news, and Guinevere placed her hand comfortingly on Arthur's arm, for which he was grateful. Her place as his queen was a constant comfort, and he was grateful for the fact that there had been so little dissent due to his choice in a queen.

"What still more of you might not be aware of is that both sides of this skirmish had magic on their side," Arthur revealed, looking around to observe the reactions this news wrought.

The knights who had been with him looked completely unsurprised, though Arthur could tell that most of them had no guesses as to where exactly the magical shield had come from. Gwaine looked like he had just realized something he was quite pleased about, which could very well have been the case. Of all the knights, Gwaine was the one Arthur would probably expect most likely to guess Merlin's secret. Guinevere also looked surprised, but she did not look concerned, which was a relief.

"Morgana was vanquished as a result of magic being used to protect me in my fight. She is no longer a threat to this kingdom." Arthur made this final announcement with the hope that no further discussion of his sister would be necessary. When no one put forth any inquiry or comment, he continued. "As a result of this most recent encounter with magic, I have made several decisions as to my opinions on the topic. I wish to discuss these opinions, and hopefully make decisions as to the future of our kingdom."

Guinevere let a little gasp escape from beside him, letting Arthur know she had guessed where he was going with this. He peaked to his left at his wife, but she didn't look concerned, only surprised. The fact that the idea did not frighten her was a far bigger relief than Arthur had anticipated.

"I have seen many evil sorcerers attack this kingdom," Arthur began. "A few, like Morgana, had their heart set on the throne. However, the vast majority intended to wreak their revenge against my father for the purge. While I do not wish to besmirch his memory and the work he did as king, I do believe my father to have been a hasty judge and prejudiced against many for the sins of the few."

There were some mutterings from the older advisers who had worked with Uther, but none objected to their young king's words, which gave Arthur hope that this might actually work.

Arthur cleared his throat before continuing. "I have debated the nature of magic with myself for many years, based on a wide variety of experiences with it. This was not the first time magic has been used to protect me, but I do believe it is time I returned the favor. I have come to the conclusion that magic itself is not evil." Arthur didn't pause for comment, knowing he had to finish this declaration before he could allow any discussion. "Magic is a tool, which has been used in many ways in the history of our kingdom. I wish to be a fair ruler, and it is hardly fair to inflict death on those who would use magic to heal the wounded, or to defend those being unjustly attacked. I propose a new set of laws, meant to protect, rather than attack. After all, we do not impose death on those who own swords, only those who murder with them." Feeling satisfied with his speech, Arthur sat back and gestured forward, indicating that the topic was now up for discussion.

"I agree completely," Guinevere stated strongly, not hesitating for a moment. "I have seen magic used to save lives, and I have been witness to druid children who fear for their lives when they have done no wrong." She paused, thinking briefly before continuing. "Camelot is a great kingdom, but we are held back by denying freedom to so many of our citizens, especially the druids, who have so much to offer us. The laws should be adapted so the punishment fits the crime, and those who have magic need not fear their friends."

Arthur had to wonder if Guinevere knew of Merlin's magic with that last comment, but he decided that she probably didn't. She wouldn't have kept that from him, and Merlin would have known that. Perhaps she suspected, but Gaius' assurance that Merlin hadn't told anyone confirmed for him that Merlin's magic would be a surprise. Although, he was relieved to know, not an unwelcome one.

"Same," Gwaine offered from across the table. "No arguments from me."

Percival spoke up next, surprising many of the council who had rarely heard him speak. "I grew up around magic," he revealed tentatively. "Until I began to serve the kingdom that had outlawed it, I had never seen magic used to harm a soul. I believe anger to be the weapon used against Camelot, not magic."

Arthur nodded, agreeing with that statement. The support of his knights meant the most. Elyan spoke next, mentioning magic he had encountered in his travels and pointing out that if Guinevere was not troubled by it, he saw no reason to be. Leon was hesitant to see so much change, but he trusted Arthur and had also seen magic used to save them, so he was optimistic. Some of the older council members objected to Arthur undoing his father's work, but relented when the young king made it clear that he wasn't planning to have rampant magic causing chaos in his kingdom. Order was necessary, but not such strict regulation that no one had freedom.

The discussion lasted into the early afternoon, with Arthur becoming more and more aware that he had not slept as time went by. Eventually, Guinevere was the one who called a halt to the discussion.

"Our king and his knights are tired from their travels and need rest," she stated firmly. "We have reached a consensus, I think, and perhaps the council can work to transcribe new laws to be discussed tomorrow?" She phrased it as a question, but everyone took it for the barely concealed order it was, causing Arthur to smile at her.

"I concur," he announced, and the council members immediately nodded their assent, turning to each other to discuss what course of actions to take. "Those who accompanied me would do well to get some sleep," Arthur said, directing the comment at his knights, who nodded their understanding. He himself intended to take a brief nap before dinner so his evening sleep would not be ruined. Before rising, he turned to Guinevere and raised her hand to his lips, kissing it gently. "Thank you," he offered, knowing she would understand.

"Of course," she replied, smiling easily.

Rising, Arthur stretched briefly then moved towards his chambers. Hopefully when he woke there would be news of Merlin.

* * *

Lancelot was shocked to discover that the clearing Merlin had led him to was remarkably close to the city. "How have you never been caught?" He wondered aloud.

Merlin snorted. "You sound like Gaius." He explained when Lancelot raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm more careful than you give me credit for, and Kilgarrah knows how to be discrete."

Lancelot was about to reply when suddenly Merlin tipped his head back and roared some unrecognizable words at the top of his lungs. He waited for a moment, then relaxed against a tree.

"He isn't far," Merlin revealed, slowly sinking down until he was sitting against the tree.

Lancelot decided to leave aside the matter of the dragon for the moment, instead focusing on the injured warlock. "Do you think he can fix your hands?"

Merlin shrugged. "I'm not sure. He saved me from death once, when a serket stung me, so if anyone can fix shattered bone, it's him."

Gaping at the nonchalant way in which Merlin revealed this news, Lancelot asked, aghast, "You were stung by a serket and survived?"

"Yes," Merlin replied slowly. "Kilgarrah rescued me. Morgana and her sister Morgause had left me in enchanted chains I could not break."

Laughing softly to himself, Lancelot shook his head. "Merlin, you are a wonder."

Further conversation was prevented by wing beats from above, signaling the dragon's arrival.

Lancelot had been prepared for a dragon, but the sheer size of the beast shocked him. He backed up slightly almost without realizing, causing Merlin to chuckle slightly.

"Young warlock!" The dragon spoke, his voice old and wise with a volume that implied power. "You have been cut off from me for the past week. What happened?"

"Morgana," Merlin revealed, his tone sour. "Arthur killed her for it, but while she had me captive she shattered the bones in my hands. Is there any way you know that they can be restored?"

Kilgarrah considered him for a moment before replying. "So, the witch is dead. It seems you really were her doom. She should have known better than to come between you and your king. Come closer and let me see the damage."

Lancelot helped Merlin to his feet so he could come closer, the warlock holding out his bandaged hands with a wince. The potions had helped greatly, but pain seemed inescapable with this particular injury.

"Were it not for the magic you are created of, young warlock, the pain of this type of injury would have been your undoing already. You have great strength." Kilgarrah appeared to be thinking, then he spoke again. "I cannot heal you without your help."

"I'm rubbish at healing," Merlin moaned. "You know that."

"You are far better than you give yourself credit for," Kilgarrah admonished. "Do you recall the spell you forced me to provide you with in order to heal the witch?"

Merlin winced, not particularly appreciating the reminder. "Yes," he admitted.

"I will need your magic in tandem with my own. We are both creatures of the Old Relgion, and together we can knit your bones together again. Perhaps we may even remove you of some the whip marks you seem to have in every place there is skin." Kilgarrah looked angry at this, but relaxed and looked upon the warlock sympathetically. "Come closer."

Merlin obeyed, coming closer and taking a seat beneath the dragon, where Kilgarrah could easily reach him. "What do you need me to do?"

"Say the spell and focus on your own body with your magic. I will do my best to heal you at the same time. I hope it will be sufficient. I have great faith in the combined strength we can wield." Kilgarrah shuffled until he was satisfied, then leaned down over Merlin, preparing to breath on him as he had done once before. "Begin!" The dragon commanded.

Merlin's eyes flashed gold as he began to chant the spell he had once ripped from Kilgarrah by force. "Ic þe þurhhæle þin licsare mid þam sundorcræftas þære ealdaþ æ!" Taking a breath, Merlin repeated the spell, louder the second time. When Kilgarrah showed no sign of stopping his healing breath, Merlin repeated the spell a third time, focusing with all his might on his tormented body, especially on his hands.

Lancelot watched in awe as golden light swirled around Merlin, the dragon's breath working in tandem with Merlin's spell to regenerate what had been damaged by Morgana. When the light faded, the knight moved forward tentatively to check on his friend. "Merlin?" He asked softly.

Merlin sat up slowly, relishing the absence of pain from the lashmarks. Kilgarrah had been right - he could feel that most of them had faded, though he didn't doubt that some of the ones Morgana had turned to scars remained. Warily holding up his hands, he used his teeth to undo the bandage on his left hand, unraveling it quickly and with sincere hope. It looked just as it had before his time with Morgana, and for a moment Merlin was too relieved to even attempt to use it. After a moment's hesitation, Merlin attempted to curl his hand into a fist.

"Did it work?" Lancelot asked, watching the warlock's movements.

Merlin winced slightly, the nodded. "I think so. I'm sore, and that may not ever entirely fade, but the bones are whole." Relieved, he nimbly removed the wrap on his right hand, repeating the process. It was possible his grip would be a little clumsier than normal for a while, but he hoped that once he resumed his duties that his hands would learn to do their work once more.

Lancelot laughed jubilantly and grinned, giving a short bow to the dragon who was watching with amusement. "Thank you, honoured dragon, for aiding my friend."

"Thank you, noble knight, for protecting my kin," the dragon replied sincerely, dipping his head to the knight.

"Thank you, Kilgarrah," Merlin said, resting a hand against the dragon's skin. "I an indebted to you."

"Hardly," the dragon scoffed. "I know I could expect the same from you should I require assistance. Go now, and return to your home. You could use a rest."

With a smile, Merlin nodded, watching as the dragon took off before returning with Lancelot to the horse. "Perhaps we should have brought two," he commented lightly, motioning to Lancelot's mount.

The knight rolled his eyes. "If you can ride with me when too injured to hold the reigns, then you're perfectly capable of riding back with me now that you're in one piece."

Chuckling, Merlin good-naturedly allowed himself to be situated in front of Lancelot on the horse, patting the animal gratefully as he did so. "Very well. Let's go home, shall we?"


	7. Chapter 7

Arthur did not awaken until the next morning, but when he did wake it was with a start from the shock.

"Rise and shine!" Merlin said cheerfully, standing by the curtains he had just thrust open and grinning at the bewildered look on Arthur's face.

"Merlin?" Arthur asked, too startled to say anything else.

Smiling, Merlin moved closer to the bed, holding up his hands to show them off. "I'm a little rusty, and still sore, but a lot better. You were asleep when I came to check on you so I just went to bed." He shrugged and moved over towards the wardrobe, intending to pull some clothes out for the king.

"I'm glad there was a solution," Arthur said sincerely, shifting his legs over to the side and pushing off the bed, striding over to join Merlin. "You look much better."

"So do you," Merlin pointed out, helping Arthur into a shirt. He had expected more concern over the fact that magic had clearly played a part in his healing, but Arthur looked relieved, not upset. Merlin was perfectly content to take it and move on. "You looked about ready to fall over from exhaustion yesterday."

"Yes, well," Arthur shrugged. "I couldn't sleep when there was work to be done."

"Oh?" Merlin asked, helping Arthur into his pants then wandering over towards the table where Arthur's breakfast was set to snatch a grape. "What did you do after dropping me with Giaus, then?"

"Had a council meeting," Arthur informed him, sighing as he took a seat and began to eat a slice of meat.

Merlin made a face. "Without me?" He asked, only partly joking. "Surely updating them on Morgana's fate could have waited a day or two."

Arthur resisted the urge to flinch at his sister's name, answering Merlin's question instead. "Without you and Sir Lancelot," he pointed out. "It was partly about explaining what had happened with your capture, but I also wanted to propose a major change in the laws, and that discussion couldn't wait."

Merlin gave Arthur an appraising look. "You took advantage of me being incapacitated to change the laws?" He said with mock horror. "Arthur, you know you need my council for that sort of thing!" He grinned and stole another grape.

Ignoring the theft, Arthur nodded in agreement. "I just needed the council to begin work on drafting laws. I fully expect you to help me evaluate them."

Merlin eyed him for a moment, then said, surprised, "Wait, you're serious?" When Arthur nodded again, Merlin was confused. "Since when do you need my consultation on new law?" Just because Arthur asked for his advice on occasion (or got it whether he wanted it or not) didn't mean evaluating law was part of Merlin's job description. Merlin picked up the tray he'd delivered breakfast on, wiping at a smudge absently.

"Because," Arthur began, watching Merlin closely for a reaction, "I'm repealing the ban on magic and you're the only person I trust completely to tackle this task with me."

Merlin dropped the tray he had picked up, frozen in shock as he stared at Arthur, mouth open. The tray clattered noisily to the ground, causing the clamor of metal against the hard floors to echo throughout the room. When he finally made eye contact with the king, he was even more surprised to see that his best friend was grinning at him, clearly enjoying himself.

"We have plenty to talk about," Arthur added quickly, "but I thought this was a step that needed to be taken."

Merlin still hadn't found his voice, but he managed to recover after a moment, picking up the tray and setting it back down on the table.

"You should probably take a seat," Arthur told him, amused.

Sinking into the chair opposite the king, Merlin gave him a considering look before asking, "You lied before, didn't you?" His tone was wary, but hopeful.

Arthur nodded, looking slightly guilty. "Sorry," he offered, sounding sincere, surprising Merlin again. "You were already having a rough day. I didn't want to spring the fact that I'd overheard your argument with Morgana on you when there were so many other things that were more important in that moment."

Merlin needed a minute to process that before asking tentatively, "And...you're okay with it?"

Arthur pursed his lips. "Yes and no." Before Merlin could object, Arthur raised a finger to stop him so he could continue. "Let me clear on this point. You, Merlin, I trust implicitly. Your loyalty has never been, nor ever will be, a question. Clearly, you have been lying for quite a while. I can guess at some scenarios in which you've played a part, but I'll need you to fill in the blanks. I don't believe magic is inherently evil, Merlin, and I haven't for awhile. You know that. My main problem is that it took such a near death scenario for me to find out. Would you have ever told me?"

Merlin looked properly guilty, squirming a little before he answered. "Yes, I would have," he answered, then hesitated before continuing. "I don't know when though. I've never really told anyone, at least not a friend. Sometimes I've had to reveal my magic to try and stop something bad from happening, but I've never told someone I knew and trusted before. Everyone who's known has discovered me by accident." Merlin spared a moment to realize that that was the first time he'd flat out admitted to having magic in Arthur's presence, at least knowingly. Arthur seemed to realize it too, but didn't say anything.

"Gaius said the same," Arthur mused. "I will admit, had you revealed yourself fully to other confidants before telling me, I think I would have been upset. At the moment I'm more irritated than anything else that this has taken so long."

Merlin smiled at Arthur's admission of friendship before the first comment caught up with him. "Wait, Gaius knows you know?"

"I didn't want him to tell you," Arthur defended the physician immediately. "I just needed to convey how serious I was that he do whatever it took to heal you - even if it wasn't strictly legal. Which reminds me, what did you do exactly?"

Merlin immediately looked guilty again, hesitancy written all over his face. "Can we just say I met up with an old friend and revisit that topic later? This is going really well and I don't want to screw it up." There was a chance that Arthur had overheard Morgana berating him for freeing the dragon, but Merlin wasn't ready to hash that out yet, whether or not Arthur already knew about it.

"That sounds ominous," Arthur replied wryly, raising an eyebrow. When Merlin didn't reply, he sighed and returned to their previous line of conversation. "What I would like to know is if you kept your secret because you actually thought I would execute you." He folded his arms, looking expectantly at Merlin.

"No," Merlin insisted earnestly. After a pause, he added, "Not really, anyway, not anymore." At Arthur's expectant look, Merlin sighed and clarified. "In the beginning I couldn't tell you," he stated. "You would have told your father."

Arthur looked like he wanted to protest, but after a moment he winced and nodded. "Probably," he admitted.

"I knew after awhile that you wouldn't turn me over to be executed, but I didn't want to make you keep my secret from you father, and I couldn't risk you making me leave Camelot instead. It was safer for everyone if I just kept quiet. Later, when you were king, I was torn between being afraid of being made to leave Camelot and your side, or losing your trust because of the lies." Merlin shifted uncomfortably, his gaze lowered.

Arthur absorbed that for a moment before responding. "I understand," he replied. It was possible that if he'd discovered Merlin's secret in any other way, he might have lost control and done something he would later regret, but he hadn't. He had needed to decide on his priorities immediately, and then he'd had time to think about it and make decisions. He knew that there was plenty they had to discuss, but this was about moving forward together, not hiding from each other in fear.

"You're taking this remarkably well," Merlin pointed out, almost as if reading Arthur's mind.

Sparing a split second to wonder if Merlin actually could read minds, Arthur shrugged and explained himself. "I had to decide right away if I card more about saving your life or getting angry about the magic. Listening to Morgana just made it easier. I knew without a doubt that no matter what, you were still you, and I'd come to rescue you. It didn't hurt that you then risked yourself immediately after I'd gotten you out in order to protect me during my fight with Morgana." He gave Merlin a pointed look, amused when the warlock actually looked chagrined.

"As if I'd let you face her alone," Merlin replied calmly. "How much of our argument did you hear?" He was fuzzy on some of the details, but he was almost certain Morgana had tormented him over releasing Kilgarrah, and if she had then he and Arthur should get that out of the way as soon as possible.

Arthur knew what Merlin was asking, and he nodded in acknowledgment. "You want to know if I heard her say you set the Great Dragon free," he stated flatly. He hadn't spared a lot of consideration for that particular revelation yet, but he had been determined to hear Merlin's side before making judgments. Repealing the ban on magic had been his only real snap judgment so far, and that was because as soon as he knew Merlin had magic, it made perfect sense to start the process of actually uniting his kingdom. It was also a bonus that the sooner the ban was repealed, the sooner Merlin could live without fear. If Arthur was honest with himself, that had been a huge part of his motivation, but he couldn't really make himself be bothered by it.

Merlin winced at the revelation that Arthur had indeed heard, and opened his mouth to explain, but paused when Arthur held up a hand to stop him.

"I also heard you say that the dragon helped you save Camelot, and that by releasing it you were keeping your word and fulfilling a bargain," Arthur continued, raising an eyebrow as if asking for clarification.

"That's right," Merlin replied at once, blinking in surprise. "It wasn't the first time I had needed his help, but our relationship was a little rocky back then and he sort of forced me to make him an oath he would believe that I would free him in order to give me his help. It's different now." Merlin realized a half a beat late what he'd said and steeled himself for Arthur's reaction.

"...what do you mean by now?" Arthur asked, his tone low and not really revealing anything.

Merlin hesitated for a moment, not sure how to reply. "Before we left to go find the Dragonlord, Gaius took me aside to tell me something about him. Something it was important that I know before we went off to find him." When Arthur didn't interrupt, Merlin tentatively continued with, "Balinor was my father."

Arthur's eyebrows skyrocketed, and several confusing memories slotted into place all at once. As he remembered how that particular venture had ended, he winced in sympathy and paled slightly at the memory. "When he died...goodness, Merlin, he died in your arms!"

Merlin took a deep breath, not wanting the memory to distract from the conversation. It had been a long time ago, but he still deeply regretted not knowing his father better. "He was protecting me," he said softly. He looked up with surprise to see Arthur leaning forward, resting a hand on Merlin's arm.

"I'm sorry, Merlin," Arthur said gently, looking as though he deeply meant it.

"Thanks," Merlin offered, smiling slightly and waiting until Arthur leaned back again before continuing. "After he died, I discovered that the traits of a Dragonlord are passed from father to son."

Arthur's eyes widened, narrowed, then widened again as the ramifications of that struck him. "It's still alive," he breathed out, confirming what he had already suspected from Merlin's earlier words.

"He," Merlin corrected. "His name is Kilgarrah. Becoming a Dragonlord - the last Dragonlord - makes us kin. I couldn't kill him, so I ordered him to leave Camelot and never attack it again."

"And that worked?" Arthur asked incredulously.

"If it helps, he actually likes you, I think," Merlin offered. "More than he likes me sometimes. His anger was towards your father, not you. He's invested in seeing the two of us succeed in fulfilling our destiny."

Arthur absorbed that for a moment, warring between anger that was at least partly irrational and relief that at least if someone had a leash on a giant beast of fiery death it was someone with no desire to kill, like Merlin. Deciding to pick his battles, Arthur asked warily, "What do you mean by destiny?"

Merlin chuckled once, without humor. "We might be here a while."


	8. Chapter 8

After having been assured by Arthur that the king quite literally had all day, Merlin reluctantly began his explanation. They had a lot of ground to cover, but it was long past time for Arthur to be informed.

"There's quite a few ancient prophecies," Merlin began hesitantly. "They all have to do with the two of us."

Arthur leaned back in his chair, eyebrow raised and giving Merlin a look that clearly asked why this was the first he'd heard of it. "Go on."

"The prophecies are about how the Once and Future King will unite Albion with the help of Emrys, the greatest warlock to ever live." Merlin rushed the words out, holding his breath and waiting for Arthur's reaction.

There was a moment where the king seemed to be processing that, before he asked, "Greatest warlock to ever live?" Giving Merlin a skeptical look he asked, "Humility isn't one of your magical abilities, then."

Merlin made a face at him. "I'm not bragging, you clotpole, it's true. I'm not just some sorcerer, and you're not just any king. It's my destiny to help you become the greatest king the land has ever seen."

Arthur gaped at him for a minute, then began to digest that information. "So I've had the greatest sorcerer to ever live as my servant all these years?"

"Warlock," Merlin corrected absently. "But yes, you have."

Quizzically, Arthur asked, "What's the difference?"

It took Merlin a moment to catch up to the fact that Arthur was questioning why Merlin had corrected him. "A sorcerer has to learn magic," Merlin explained. "I was born with it, which makes me a warlock. To hear Gaius tell it, I'm actually made of magic. I don't have it, I am it." He shrugged, seeming unbothered by the concept.

Arthur stared at him in surprise. "How on earth were you able to keep something that monumental a secret?" He wondered aloud.

"I think pure luck had a lot to do with it," Merlin admitted. "Also, you hit your head a lot. It's been very convenient over the years."

Now that he thought about it, Arthur did seem to get knocked on the head fairly frequently, and it was just as common for him to wake up to Merlin telling him how he'd managed to defeat the villain or monster while being unconscious on the ground. "I have a feeling that with each revelation you provide I'll find myself feeling more and more foolish," he said wryly.

"Nah," Merlin dismissed with a grin. "Contrary to public opinion, Arthur, you're not a complete idiot. I'm just good at hiding in plain sight. I've had to do it my whole life."

Arthur leaned forward to swat at his servant, who neatly dodged the blow. "All right then, let's get this over with. I don't need to know every little story, but anything big you had a hand in I want to know about."

Merlin blew out his breath, scratching at the back of his head. "Okay, that's still gonna take a while. I mean, some of it should be obvious. I saved your life that first time, when I pulled out of the path of that dagger."

Arthur couldn't help but chuckle at the memory. "To think that my father willingly brought a sorcerer, sorry, warlock, into our castle. He would have been furious."

"I know, I was terrified," Merlin replied dryly, rolling his eyes. "Being in the same room as him made me nervous for ages."

Arthur looked remorseful about that, but decided not to pursue the topic, motioning for Merlin to continue.

"Next major thing would have been Valiant," Merlin decided after thinking about it for a second.

It took a moment for realization to cross Arthur's face, the event had happened so long ago. "The snakes! What did you do?"

"I learned a spell that would let me command his snakes so you could see for yourself that he was cheating," Merlin explained. "I wasn't even sure it would work at first. I stayed up all night practicing."

Arthur looked confused. "I thought you said you didn't have to learn magic," he asked.

"Oh, I don't," Merlin confirmed. "All the power I have is like second nature to me, but it's mostly raw. Learning spells and things helps me focus it, be more controlled. That's why my mother sent me to Camelot in the first place. She wanted Gaius to teach me how to control my powers so I wouldn't get myself killed."

That clarified things for Arthur, and he nodded his understanding. "All right, so what next?"

"Lots of things," Merlin sighed. "I'm not sure I can remember it all. You do realize that you nearly die on almost a daily basis, right? Keeping you alive is a full time job, and I already have two of those, what with being your servant and training to be a physician under Gaius."

Arthur smirked. "You realize nobody asked you to be my personal bodyguard," he pointed out mildly.

Merlin rolled his eyes. "Before I'd even been appointed your servant, Kilgarrah had called out to me inside my mind, brought me down to the caverns to meet him, and informed me that I was destined to help you unite the land. I didn't believe him. I'd met you, and you were a prat." He grinned at the memory, which was humorous in hindsight.

Chuckling, Arthur allowed that. "Fair enough. What changed your mind then?"

"Nothing! Your father appointed me to be your servant, remember? I couldn't exactly say no!" Merlin broke off, smiling slightly. "After awhile though, it wasn't such a chore, keeping you alive. I actually started wanting to, once I realized you weren't quite as dim and awful as you seemed. Plus, we worked well together, fighting the afanc - which was probably the next big thing I helped with, by the way - and then you went off and risked your life when I drank poison for you. So, I decided we must be friends and after that I was actually invested in keeping you alive."

Arthur grinned at that, old memories of the early days and how antagonistic he and Merlin had been. They were still like that, but more out of habit. Back then, Arthur had just been rude to everyone. He had grown out of that, probably if he was honest due in part to Merlin's influence on him. Thinking of his journey to save his servant, Arthur asked, "Did you send the light, then?"

"This light?" Merlin asked, murmuring under his breath and holding up a hand. A blue ethereal light formed immediately, hovering in mid air above the warlock's hand as though it had every right to be there.

"It was you," Arthur breathed, fascinated by seeing such innocent magic so close at hand. "You were dying though, and you weren't even there."

Merlin shrugged. "I don't actually remember doing it, but Gaius said I was speaking as if I could see you and wanted to keep you safe. I think subconsciously I knew you were in danger because of me and I wanted to do what I could to help."

Arthur marveled at that, but nodded in acceptance. "Well, thank you for that."

"No problem," Merlin replied with a grin. He was hardly used to being thanked for his magic, and he took a second to appreciate the feeling. "Next would be Lancelot," he realized. It occurred to him that he'd have to reveal that Lancelot had known all along, and he wasn't sure how Arthur would react.

"You helped our good knight to slay the griffin, I'd imagine," Arthur determined. "He discovered your magic, and rather than stay and claim credit for something he didn't actually do, he left Camelot." Arthur had been thinking about it based on what little Gaius had given him to go on, and he was fairly certain that that must have been what happened.

Merlin was staring at him, mouth open. "How on earth-?" He started to ask.

"When I told Gaius to do whatever was needed to repair your hands, I had offered to occupy Sir Lancelot elsewhere if that would be helpful, and Gaius briefly explained that it wasn't necessary and why." Arthur explained quickly.

"I didn't tell him," Merlin said immediately, feeling it important that Arthur be certain of that. "I almost had a heart attack when he told me he'd seen what I did, but he promised to keep it a secret and has since proved himself to be an invaluable ally."

"He is a good man," Arthur confirmed. "I am glad you were not entirely alone in your secrets all these years. Much as I wish I had known sooner, I am relieved you had a friend."

Relieved, Merlin added, "Lancelot may have been the one who covered for me when I needed it, but you've always been my best friend. Even when you're being more of a dollophead then a king." He grinned broadly at the look on the king's face.

"I'm not a girl, Merlin," Arthur said with a roll of his eyes. "You don't need to pacify me." Despite his words, Arthur did look pleased at Merlin's assurance.

Merlin shrugged before continuing with his recalling of events. "I think the next thing that happened was that healer, Edwin. He nearly killed me and Gaius. After that I had to save you from the Sidhe."

"The she?" Arthur interrupted, looking confused. "What on earth is a she?"

"Sidhe," Merlin emphasized. "Sort of like fairies, I guess. Remember Sophia and her father?"

The realization dawning on Arthur's face was humorous. "You said you hit me over the head after I'd run away to elope with her."

"No, she kidnapped you and tried to drown you, so I had to kill her and her father, then drag your soggy armour-clad arse out of the lake," Merlin announced, looking put out. "You have an idea how heavy you are?"

Arthur rolled his eyes but didn't retaliate. "I don't even remember that," he said aloud, wonderingly. "I expect I'll be saying that a lot though," he admitted a moment later.

"Probably," Merlin agreed, looking amused. He thought for a moment, trying to decide what else had happened that first year in Camelot that was worth discussing. He decided to pass over the time they'd saved the druid boy, Mordred, mostly because of Morgana's involvement and the fact that Arthur knew a majority of that story already. The rest wasn't something important enough to discuss in this conversation. "I made your sword," Merlin announced suddenly, remembering the incident with the wraith.

"The one I pulled out of the stone?" Arthur asked slowly, looking at Merlin warily.

"Yes!" Merlin replied, looking pleased. He hesitated, then proceeded quickly. "The sword was forged by Gwen's father, then I had it burnished in a dragon's flame. You were going to fight that wraith thing, so I had it made so you could actually kill it, only your father took it and he fought instead. Kilgarrah was furious because only you were supposed to use it, so I had to take it in throw it in a lake. Then I had to get it back again when we fought the immortal army, and after that is when I put it in the stone. You have it now, obviously."

Arthur sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair, looking up at Merlin while resting his elbow on the arm of the chair. "Where do you even find the time to do all of this?" He asked, mostly rhetorically.

"That's another thing," Merlin announced suddenly. "I'm never in the tavern! Gaius couldn't think of anything to say one time, and suddenly I'm cursed to years of you thinking I'm a drunk when I'm really running around trying to keep you alive! Or sometimes dying, that's happened a few times. Still - never in the tavern!"

Amused, Arthur nodded. "That clears that up. What do you mean dying?" His eyes narrowed.

"Later," Merlin dismissed. "We'll get there."

"Fine. What next, then, after the wraith?" Arthur prompted.

"Ealdor," Merlin said with a smile. The memory of his friends riding to his hometown with him to protect his mother was something he was very fond of.

A series of realizations ran through Arthur's mind, the foremost of which was that Merlin's friend must have been protecting him. "I'm sorry about Will," Arthur said gently after searching in his memory briefly for the name. "He was protecting you?"

"And you," Merlin pointed out. "But mostly me, yeah."

"You could have taken out that barbarian's entire force alone, couldn't you?" Arthur wondered aloud.

"Probably," Merlin admitted, "but I try not to perform mass acts of violence." He made a face at the thought.

"Fair enough," Arthur allowed. "You help though, when we're in battle. You must, I'm sure. Thinking back, we do seem to have an awful lot of bizarre luck."

Merlin chuckled lightly. "Broken branches, convenient roots, burning hot sword hilts, yeah, that would be me. You realize we get attacked by bandits and enemy forced practically ever time we go out, right?"

Arthur laughed out loud. "Then it's a good thing I've got magical back up, isn't it?"

"Especially when you go off and do dumb things like kill magical creatures," Merlin said pointedly. It hadn't been long after Ealdor that Arthur had killed the unicorn.

Arthur winced at the memory. "You're probably the only reason I made that right," he realized after a moment. "Even before I knew of your magic, I had long since realized that you always seem to give me the right advice. I always thought you were just intuitive somehow, but you know a lot more then I've given you credit for, I think." He looked appraisingly at Merlin, who shuffled awkwardly.

"Well, yeah, usually," Merlin acknowledged. "Most of the time I was trying to let you know as much as I could about a situation without actually revealing myself. As long as you trusted me, I knew we'd come out on top."

"I haven't always listened to you though," Arthur admitted, looking slightly chagrined.

"That's really got to stop," Merlin said with mock sternness. "You know I'm always right."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Nearly always. Let's not get a big head now. All powerful warlock or not, you're not perfect."

Merlin winced. "That's definitely true," he muttered. "I need to tell you about something that happened early on, and you're not going to like it."

Sighing, Arthur motioned for him to continue. "Go ahead. I want to know everything."

"Morgana tried to kill your father," Merlin rushed out in one breath.

"I know," Arthur said dryly. "Multiple times, as I recall."

"No, but the first time was the first year I was here," Merlin revealed, wincing.

Arthur looked shocked. "What? Why didn't you say something? When?"

"After Gwen's father was wrongly killed," Merlin said quietly. "I was following, intending to intervene if things got that far. She changed her mind at the last minute, but it was close."

"So early," Arthur murmured, looking dumbstruck. "Nothing seemed changed back then. I can't reconcile the Morgana I knew with who she became."

"I feel responsible," Merlin revealed, looking almost heartbroken. "I knew of her visions, and of her fears, but I had been warned of what she was destined to become, so I avoided revealing myself to her or providing her with too much help. I think it attempting to divert her destiny, I somehow ensured it."

"Morgana made her own choices," Arthur said firmly, his expression pained. "You are not to blame for what she let her fear do to her."

Merlin didn't really agree, but chose not to argue.

"I do have a question about that first year," Arthur said suddenly, sifting through old memories. "When I was wounded by the questing beast..."

"Ah." Merlin had known this would come up, but hadn't really wanted to discuss it. "You were dying. Gaius couldn't save you, so I went to do it."

"I remember you saying goodbye," Arthur commented, wary. "You came back though."

"I went to the Isle of the Blessed," Merlin informed him. "I was going to trade my life for yours."

Arthur's eyes went wide, though he wasn't entirely shocked by the revelation. "You were going to what?" He demanded. "That's ridiculous, Merlin, you can't just run off and sacrifice yourself!"

"Well, I did. I've actually done it a few times, and I'd do it tomorrow if it was necessary." Merlin shrugged, ignoring the look on Arthur's face. "Nimueh was the sorceress who met me there, and we made the deal. I returned, and you recovered, and I fully expected to die. I didn't expect my mother to turn up on her deathbed." Merlin's face went dark with remembered anger. "Nimueh tricked me and tried to take my mother's life. Gaius knew I intended to go back and set things right, so he left before I could to make the deal for me. By the time I got there, he was dead."

Arthur knew he was gaping, but couldn't seem to close his mouth. "So what happened?" He asked, still in shock.

"I fought Nimueh," Merlin said simply. Rucking up his shirt so Arthur could see the scar from the fireball, he continued with, "She tried to take me down with fire, but I struck back with lightning. In the process I became master of the power of life and death. Killing Nimueh brought Gaius back, and the balance was restored."

"You don't do things by halves, do you, Merlin?" Arthur marveled, unable to tear his eyes away from the circular scar until Merlin lowered his shirt. "All of that was within your first year here in Camelot?"

"And that's only the beginning," Merlin replied, chuckling. "You sure you still want to hear it all?"

"Everything," Arthur confirmed.


	9. Chapter 9

It took Merlin a moment to think of what the next major event he'd gone through was, but when the memory struck he reacted with a scowl.

"What?" Arthur asked warily, surprised at his servant's expression.

"The next time I had to save Camelot," Merlin began, still slightly resentful. He'd forgiven Arthur ages ago, but it wasn't exactly his favourite memory.

"Why, what happened?" Arthur wondered, thinking back to the early days and trying to determine which time Camelot had been in danger Merlin might be referring to.

"Cornelius Sigan," Merlin announced, still looking miffed.

Arthur took a second to connect the name to the memory and remember exactly what had happened - and why Merlin looked so irritated. "Ah," he said, not sure where to go with that. "I did apologize for that," he offered, internally wincing at how his dismissal of Merlin and choice of a thief as replacement had nearly brought the city to ruin.

"No, actually," Merlin said with a slight smile. "You gave me chores to do. It's not quite the same thing."

"You knew what I meant," Arthur protested, knowing full well that Merlin had taken the assignments as an apology at the time.

Merlin grinned at him. "Yeah, I did. It was still an upsetting experience though." He rolled his eyes and chuckled. "That was the first time I'd ever had to battle a major sorcerer, someone with enough power that I could've been seriously hurt."

"But you defeated him?" Arthur asked eagerly, knowing the outcome already.

"Just barely. He tried to possess me after I'd refused to join him and rule over Camelot together." Merlin shrugged, as if it wasn't important.

Arthur leaned back in his seat, considering that for a moment. "Why didn't you?" He asked, his tone genuinely curious.

"What, join the psychotic evil sorcerer attempting to destroy my home?" Merlin asked sarcastically. "Maybe because, I dunno, I'm not an insane person?"

Arthur's lips twitched in amusement, but he remained solemn. "I'm serious, Merlin. Especially back then, there were times I treated you abysmally. With the extent of your power and all the potential you have, you can't seriously expect me to believe that an offer to rule over a kingdom in place of serving a prat wasn't at least a little tempting."

Merlin looked offended. "Arthur, even if I hated you, which I never have, I'd still say no to an offer like that. I don't want power over people and an excuse to inflict pain on those who mistreat me. That's not who I am. I want to help you unite Albion, I want to protect my friends, and I want to protect my home. Most of all, I want to protect you. Just because you can be a bit of an arse sometimes doesn't mean I'm going to leave you behind to take over the world."

Arthur held up a hand and nodded. "You're right, I'm sorry. I was just curious. Let me ask you this: once the ban on magic is officially repealed, how would you react to me removing you from your place as my servant and giving you a full time adviser's job? There used to be a position for court sorcerer in this kingdom, once upon a time, and I can see the logic in having one again. You would be a very powerful man in that position. What do you say to that?"

Merlin mulled over the question for quite a while, treating it exactly as seriously as Arthur had intended. "I won't deny that the idea of being recognized for who I am and what I can do in a way that benefits all of Camelot is not incredibly alluring. However, if I'm some grand royal adviser or something, then I'm not spending all my time with you, following you around, going on trips with you, and that scares me more than the idea of a powerful position tempts me."

Arthur actually looked surprised at that. "You'd prefer to stay a servant?"

"Surely there's a happy medium," Merlin suggested. "You're definitely going to be a magic adviser, and I'd be insulted if it wasn't me, but I go to most council meetings with you anyway, so there's no reason for me to stop being your servant. Besides, Kilgarrah likes to say that we're two sides of the same coin, and he's right. I think at this point we wouldn't even know what to do with ourselves if we weren't engaging on a daily basis the same way we do now. I need to stay with you to keep you safe, but it isn't just that. I actually want to stay with you. I want to advise you about magic and be able to protect the kingdom freely, but not at the expense of my place by your side."

Arthur was nodding in agreement, a smile on his face. "Then that's precisely what we'll do," he declared. "Once the ban has been repealed, I'll introduce you as our magic consultant to the council, and you'll serve alongside me as my personal magic adviser for council meetings and the like. You're always with me in court, so I'll have your insight there as well. As far as your public profile goes, you can decide exactly how vocal about your abilities you want to be. Part of me believes that there's a benefit to your skills being a secret, but the rest of me wants you to be free to practice magic as publicly as you want, so I'll leave that level of discretion up to you. Throughout all this change, we'll continue on as we always have. You're right, after all. I can't even imagine getting a new servant at this point. I've just gotten too used to you, I suppose." He grinned at Merlin to make it clear he was joking, chuckling when his manservant rolled his eyes.

"Thanks," Merlin replied, sincerity bleeding through the sarcasm.

There was a pause, then Arthur waved his hand towards Merlin in a 'go on' motion. "Well, what came after the great sorcerer you defeated?"

"I stopped an assassin from killing you during a tournament, and I'm fairly certain you kissed Gwen for the first time," Merlin declared without preamble, chuckling when Arthur flushed red.

"Yes, I remember that," the king coughed out, still pink. "What came next?"

Merlin made a face, already knowing what had happened soon after that. "I failed Morgana," he stated frankly. At Arthur's questioning look, he clarified. "I could have helped her, but I chose to keep my own secret, so I sent her to the druids, hoping they could help her." His expression grew dark. "Uther thought she'd been kidnapped."

The memories flooded back in an instant, and Arthur felt regret come alongside them. "I have to claim at least a portion of this blame, Merlin," he said gently. "I didn't have to obey my father."

"Yes you did," Merlin sighed. "I never blamed you for that. Morgana was terrified, and I didn't help. Uther would never have accepted her, but maybe I could have protected her." He sighed heavily, shaking his head.

"Morgana's decisions are not your fault," Arthur said firmly. "Mistakes were made, but we cannot predict what could have happened."

Merlin decided to leave it alone, shrugging before moving on. "A great deal of the times I've used my magic were just in aid of something larger," he mused. "Like, it wasn't long after the druids that Gwen was kidnapped in place of Morgana, but I only helped that time. I didn't impressively save everyone or anything."

"I'd wager your help was still an invaluable asset," Arthur pointed out wryly.

Merlin shrugged. "I guess. It was definitely an essential part of ridding the kingdom of it's troll queen." He snickered at the memory.

Arthur's head fell into the palm of his hand with a groan. "Ugh, that was  _awful_ ," he muttered.

"Well, it worked out in the end," Merlin pointed out. "I mean, if I hadn't been able to fight off that awful servant fellow then I couldn't have gotten the antidote to you in time, which would have been pretty bad, but it all turned out all right."

Arthur looked thoroughly unamused. "I almost died?" He asked, his tone dangerous.

"I got to you in time, didn't I?" Merlin protested. "And we defeated them, after all. Don't complain so much."

Arthur rolled his eyes and huffed a laugh. "You're ridiculous, Merlin. It really is a wonder you aren't dead already."

"Well, it's not exactly like there haven't been plenty of attempts," Merlin admitted. "The witchfinder, for example..."

Arthur blanched. "You and Gaius were nearly executed!" He exploded.

Merlin looked chagrined. "Aredian was a liar," he said sullenly. "He faked witnesses and accused willy-nilly. I was the reason he was called. I was being sloppy and didn't think anyone would see if I had a bit of fun, and Gaius almost died. I learn from my mistakes, all right? I don't feel the slightest bit of remorse for getting him caught, and I don't regret that he's dead."

"Me either," Arthur admitted. "Still, would showing caution kill you?"

Merlin chuckled. "Maybe. Where's the fun in that though?"

Arthur thought through the sequence of events they'd discussed, and a dark memory intruded. "Merlin," he began slowly, "When Morgause showed me my mother..."

Merlin shrugged helplessly. "I had to stop you from killing your father, Arthur. You would never have forgiven yourself, you know it. I don't know if that was really your mother, but from my understanding Uther did deal with Nimueh for your birth. I don't think he knew your mother would die, and that ignorance resulted in the deaths of many in the Purge."

Arthur was silent for a moment, considering that. Distance had provided him with a little hindsight, and he appreciated his own growth in that he didn't fly into a rage at the idea that Merlin had lied to keep him from killing his own father. "I think I suspected it must be true," he finally admitted. "I don't know how I feel about knowing that it was."

"Does it change anything about how you want to rule?" Merlin asked.

"No," Arthur acknowledged.

Merlin shrugged. "Then why does it matter? You're not the same man you were back then, and you've allowed your views on magic to be shaped by experience and advice, rather than prejudice. You're not your father, and he's not here anymore. You're king, and you won't fall into the same traps he did. You're a better man."

Arthur fought back the flush he felt building at Merlin's words, choosing to nod instead. "Thank you," he murmured in acknowledgement.

They sat in the quiet for a moment before Arthur cleared his throat and said, "Well, what next?"

Merlin hesitated, trying to decide where to go next. He knew exactly what the next event was in his history of important magical experiences, but this wasn't one he thought he wanted to share.

"You're editing something out," Arthur realized, his eyes narrowing. "What secrets must you continue to hide?"

With a heavy sigh, Merlin made his choice. "It's not a secret, I just don't want to talk about it." Taking a deep breath, he added, "I'm going to anyway. I don't want to hide anything anymore." He had briefly entertained the notion of keeping it private, but the idea of keeping anything from Arthur any longer seemed repellent to him, so he decided to share regardless.

"What is it?" Arthur asked gently, looking sympathetic.

"There was a bounty hunter," Merlin began. "He had captured a druid girl, a little younger than me I think. Gaius told me not to get involved, but I couldn't leave her there, so I released her and helped her hide."

Arthur wasn't sure he remembered the specific instance Merlin was referring to, but unfortunately bounty hunters weren't all that uncommon during his father's reign.

"I stole food for her," Merlin admitted. "She was starving and terrified, and didn't understand why I was helping her. I told her that it could just as easily have been me." At Arthur's quizzical look, he clarified with, "In the cage, I mean. I had grown up with people wary of me, and my mother had instilled in me a healthy terror of discovery and the consequences. So, I understood." Taking a deep breath, Merlin added, "Her name was Freya."

"You were in love with her," Arthur realized, eyes going wide. When Merlin nodded with a sad smile, Arthur asked incredulously, "What happened?"

"I hid her, and the more time I spent with her the closer we grew. It happened quickly, but I knew I would stay with her, no matter what." Merlin looked up hesitantly at Arthur before revealing, "We were going to leave Camelot together."

Arthur was clearly surprised. "Really? Just like that?"

"I couldn't leave her," Merlin explained. "She needed my protection. She didn't want me to come. Or, she did, but she thought it would be too dangerous for me, since she was on the run. I didn't care. I just wanted to be with her."

"So?" Arthur prompted. "What stopped you?"

Merlin took a deep breath, not wanting to get into this part. "Freya was cursed," he revealed slowly. "At night, she turned into a bastet." When Arthur gave him a blank look, he added, "It was kind of like a big cat with wings. She had made a witch angry and been cursed to kill at night." Merlin grew quiet, thinking for a moment about how to continue.

Arthur was pale. He remembered now. There had been a huge black cat with powerful wings attacking the city and killing innocent people in the night. He himself had dealt it a mortal blow. He opened his mouth to speak, but Merlin beat him to it.

"She was wounded," Merlin said quietly, not making any mention of Arthur's role. "I was able to distract...the guards..." He stumbled over avoiding mention of Arthur. "I got her away, back to where we'd been hiding, and she didn't make any attempt to hurt me. I think it could have been possible to keep her from succumbing fully to the curse. She recognized me, and I protected her. Her wounds were too severe though, so I took her from the city and we made it to the lake before she died. I buried her in the lake." Merlin took a stuttering breath, then sighed. "I came back to Camelot and just tried to get past it."

"I'm so sorry, Merlin," Arthur said fervently, eyes wide. He remembered the fallout now, Merlin upset about something but refusing to share, and Arthur's clumsy attempts to cheer him up.

Merlin looked up, and in that moment knew that Arthur knew he had been the one to kill Freya. "It's all right," he replied quietly. "Even if it had all gone according to plan and we'd left in peace, I'd have come back." He paused briefly then nodded. "I don't think I would have been able to stay away from you and Camelot for very long."

That was oddly reassuring, but Arthur still wasn't sure how he was meant to atone for the fact that he'd apparently killed the only love of Merlin's life. "How did you not hate me for that?" He had to ask.

"The half cannot truly hate that which makes it whole," Merlin said, sounding like he was quoting something. He smiled softly at Arthur and shrugged. "I'm not sure I could ever hate you, Arthur."

That was easily the most comforting thing Arthur had ever heard, and he wasn't sure how to respond. "I feel the same," he finally admitted. "If I didn't, I don't know how I would have reacted to hearing about your magic."

Merlin nodded, certain that was true. "Same coin," he repeated, smiling. "We make a good team."

"Have I saved your life nearly as many times as you've saved mine?" Arthur asked skeptically.

"Oh, at least," Merlin assured him. "Probably. I'm not actually sure, I haven't been counting. Plus, you almost die in much more bizarre ways, so saving you requires a lot of effort most of the time."

Arthur rolled his eyes, enjoying Merlin's efforts to lighten the mood. "Such as?"

"There was that one time with Lady Vivian..." Merlin hinted, grinning at the memory. "You're so much worse when you're enchanted, I swear it's completely absurd."

Arthur groaned aloud. "That wasn't an especially positive experience," he muttered. "How did you save my life though? As I recall I won a duel."

"You only won because I got Gwen to kiss you and break the enchantment," Merlin pointed out. "It took a lot of convincing. She didn't believe me at first."

Arthur blushed slightly. "Yes, well."

"That wasn't long before Morgana stole the Crystal of Neahtid," Merlin recalled suddenly, looking upset at the memory.

"That was Morgana?" Arthur asked with surprise.

Merlin nodded. "She was also the source of the sleeping curse on Camelot that year," he revealed. "I had to poison her to stop it."

Arthur blinked, surprised. "Wait, you did what?"

"It was the only way to wake everyone up," Merlin admitted. "Morgause appeared at the last second and swore she would call the whole thing off if I told her what I'd used on Morgana, so I did."

"That's why she hates you so much," Arthur realized with sudden clarity.

Merlin looked upset. "When she came back after Morgause took her away that year, she told me she had forgiven me. I even believed her at first. I didn't want to do it, but it was the only way to save the city from slaughter."

"It's not your fault, Merlin," Arthur said firmly. "Morgana was corrupted by many things, but you are not responsible. I would have done the same thing, had I known what you knew."

"Really?" Merlin asked, surprised.

"Yes," Arthur said firmly. "No matter how much I once loved my sister, Camelot has to come first. It's one of the burdens of being responsible for a kingdom."

Merlin breathed out a sigh of relief. "That does make me feel better," he acknowledged. "I still count Morgana among my mistakes though."

"I'm not sure I'll ever be able to fully convince you that she isn't," Arthur sighed, rolling his eyes a little.

"After Morgause left Morgana I had to free Kilgarrah," Merlin announced. "It was the only way he would help me stop the spell, so I had to keep my promise as soon as the city was safe. You know the rest of that story already."

Arthur nodded, recalling Merlin's explanation of Kilgarrah's escape and the following events. "You have a far more challenging life then anyone gives you credit for," he admitted, smiling wryly. "Myself included."

"Well," Merlin said genially, "Now you know better."

Arthur laughed out loud and flicked a lone grape at his servant, pleased when the reaction resulted in a laugh in response. "Indeed," he agreed. "I look forward to my continuing education in the exploits of Merlin."

Merlin rolled his eyes, but had to grin. As hard as it could be, getting to share his stories with Arthur was all he had ever wanted.


	10. Chapter 10

Merlin had tried to convince Arthur to take a break to have some food, but Arthur simply went to the door and summoned a guard to do it, then returned to his seat and gestured for Merlin to continue.

Rolling his eyes, Merlin sought through his memory for the next event of significance. "A lot happened when Morgana finally returned to us," he began, wincing at the memory. "I wanted to believe she had changed, but it quickly became evident that she had not. No sooner had she returned than she began to attack your father's mind to weaken him." He scowled, thinking back on those days.

Arthur sighed heavily. "I was so happy we had found her," he admitted. "I regret being so blind."

Merlin shrugged. "We all were."

Arthur gave him a look. "You weren't," he pointed out.

"That's only because I followed her out of suspicion and got myself chained up and stung by a serket for my troubles," Merlin explained wryly. "It was kind of hard to trust her after that."

Arthur paled. "You were stung by a serket?" He demanded, horrified.

"I just had this conversation with Lancelot," Merlin huffed, amused in spite of himself. "Kilgarrah came to me and saved me, breaking the magic chains and healing me of the serket's venom."

Picking up on the fact that the topic had just come up with his knight, Arthur asked, "Did Kilgarrah fix your hands then as well?"

Merlin nodded. "I did some of it, but I needed his help. He's got more healing power than I do. Well, maybe if I practiced, but I've always been rubbish at healing."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "So I assume that this story ends in you having something to do with that skeleton army?"

"I stopped it," Merlin admitted. "I couldn't tell anyone the truth when Morgana took credit because no one would have believed me."

Arthur winced, but nodded in acknowledgement. Something occurred to him abruptly and he sat up, brow furrowed. "Hang on, I remember now - I asked you where you'd been and you told me you were dying! You actually told me the truth that time and I just didn't believe you!"

Merlin grinned. "That's happened a few times, actually," he admitted. "I just couldn't think of a legitimate excuse and I was too tired to say anything creative."

Arthur huffed at him in amusement. "You're ridiculous, Merlin. Right, what happened after that?"

"I accidentally set a goblin loose on the castle," Merlin said quickly, wincing in anticipation of Arthur's reaction.

With steely calm, Arthur raised an eyebrow. "The goblin that made the entire court pass wind, my father bald, and turned me into a donkey?"

"Heh. Yeah, sorry." Merlin scratched awkwardly at the back of his neck.

"HOW DID YOU MANAGE TO SET A GOBLIN LOOSE?" Arthur bellowed, throwing his hands up in exasperation.

"I sort of released it from the box it was imprisoned in because I was curious," Merlin revealed, apologetic. "I did manage to stop it! Eventually."

Arthur dropped his head into his hand, rubbing at his temples. "It's a miracle you haven't gotten yourself killed," he moaned to himself. "You're impossible, Merlin."

"I'm not useless!" Merlin protested. "Remember the melee from that year? Gwaine and I saved you from getting killed by those two thugs."

"I didn't say you were useless," Arthur pointed out. "I mean, I'm sure I have said that in the past, but I know it isn't true. You just aren't very careful. Speaking of our Sir Gwaine, does he know you have magic?"

Merlin shrugged. "I didn't tell him, and he's never told me if he knows, but honestly I wouldn't be shocked if he's guessed and was just keeping it to himself. That would be something he'd do. I don't have reason to believe he knows though."

Arthur accepted that with a nod. "That's fair. I was curious. I'd wager he managed to figure it out following our little battle with Morgana and my subsequent reversal of the ban on magic, if he didn't know already. Thank you, by the way." At Merlin's quizzical look, he clarified, "for the shield, while I was fighting. You definitely gave me the advantage."

"Well, now you know why I wouldn't leave," Merlin said pointedly, smiling at the praise. 

"True enough. Well, what else have you done?" Arthur prompted.

Merlin winced. "Remember when Morgana fell and injured her brain, then miraculously recovered?"

"That was you?" Arthur asked, surprised.

"I caused her to fall, thinking I could prevent her destiny and keep her from making an attempt on your father's life," Merlin admitted. "After the fact I felt awful and forced Kilgarrah to give me a spell that could cure her. It was all to prevent a vision I had been given, but I ended up ensuring it. I only narrowly managed to prevent her from stabbing your father with the dagger you'd given her."

Arthur shook his head and sighed. "I wish you had told me these things sooner, Merlin," he murmured. "I cannot say for sure that I would have believed you, but perhaps together we could have put an end to Morgana's evil that much sooner."

Merlin bowed his head slightly. "I'm sorry," he replied.

"No, I'm not blaming you," Arthur countered, "I just hate that you were fighting all these battles alone."

Merlin didn't really have an answer for that. He had felt lonely at times, but Gaius had been there, and he had always had Arthur, whether he could confide in him or not. Merlin decided to move forward rather than entangle himself in that particular subject. "I think the next big event would have been Princess Elena," he declared. "She was a changeling, and if you'd married her then the Sidhe would have had claim to the throne of Camelot."

Arthur blanched. "Well, it's a good job that didn't work out, then."

"You're welcome," Merlin replied dryly.

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Hang on, then wasn't too long before we went out to save Sir Elyan, our first proper meeting. I assume you helped on that occasion?"

"A bit," Merlin allowed.

"Just like you helped 'a bit' on my solitary quest to the Perilous Lands?" Arthur asked, his tone accusatory.

Merlin scowled. "Oi, I'm the only reason you came back from that trip alive," he stated sternly. "The bracelet Morgana gave you was enchanted to sap your life force. Not to mention how the wyverns are distant cousins of dragons - if you hadn't had a dragonlord on your side they might have eaten you or something."

Arthur chuckled lightly in spite of himself. "All right, fair enough, you've made your point." His expression grew dour and he sighed. "I didn't realize Morgana wanted me dead even then."

"If it were up to me it would never have been that close of a call," Merlin added petulantly. "You were unreasonably stubborn about accepting help that time."

"Because I was meant to be doing it on my own!" Arthur protested. "Then you turn up, with our Sir Gwaine I might add, and suddenly the whole thing is going to pot."

"You got the trident, didn't you?" Merlin said pointedly.

"Yes, yes," Arthur dismissed. "Fine, what came next?"

Merlin had to think about it for a minute. He decided to skip over the whole affair with Gaius' love Alice. That hadn't really involved Arthur much, all things considered, and there was no reason to cast dispersion on Alice now. With sudden clarity he remembered what had come after that, and he wasn't sure he was ready to have this conversation. "You're not going to like this," he said reluctantly.

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Merlin, I'm hardly going to have you executed at this point. Just spit it out."

"Remember when your father accused Gwen of enchanting you to fall in love with her?" Merlin asked hesitantly.

Arthur's expression darkened. "Yes. The old sorcerer that killed my father was responsible for framing her."

Merlin winced. "I couldn't let Gwen be executed, obviously, and Morgana had planted the so called evidence in the first place. So, rather than try and reason with your father, I used an aging spell to appear as a nutty old man and took the blame so you and Gwen wouldn't get into trouble for your relationship."

Arthur's face cycled through at least a dozen expressions, unable to settle between hatred and confusion. "Merlin..." He said slowly, "Did you kill my father?"

"NO," Merlin replied emphatically. "I tried to save him, Arthur, I swear. Agravaine told Morgana that you intended to use magic, so she had him place a charm around your father's neck that would reverse any healing magic and increase it's power tenfold. I'm not great with healing spells, but I should have been able to save him. Gaius and I didn't discover the charm until later, and by then it was too late. I'm sorry."

Arthur had to sit back and process that for a moment, his face still cycling through emotions. "I believe you," he said after a moment. "Thank you for telling me."

"I keep thinking that there had to have been something I could have done sooner to save him," Merlin admitted.

That gave Arthur pause. "Why would you want to? I know you knew better than to believe I could kill you, but my father would have in a heartbeat. Why would you try to save him at all?"

"He was your father," Merlin replied immediately, sounding surprised. "I would have prevented you the heartache if I could have."

Arthur smiled at that. "Thank you, Merlin." There was a pause, then Arthur cleared his throat and motioned for Merlin to continue. "So, after taking the blame for Morgana, what came next?"

Merlin was pretty sure the next thing had been the tournament where he'd met Gilli, which wasn't all that significant where Arthur was concerned. That meant that his next story had to do with Morgana's first attempt at ruling Camelot. "The immortal army," he said. After a beat, he added, "The second one, at least."

Clearly Arthur remembered, if the expression on his face was anything to go by. "We were all unaware of Morgana's true allegiances until that moment," he mused. "Is this where you tell me what you did instead of take out the warning bell?"

"Lancelot and I went after the cup of life," Merlin admitted.

Arthur threw his hands up in exasperation. "Of course you did. From now on, you and I are going to plan these grand battles of yours together, all right? No more secret sacrificing."

"Deal," Merlin replied with a grin.

"At least we're starting to catch up to the present in your stories," Arthur sighed. "How much more do you have to tell?"

Merlin thought about it. "A bit."


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obviously because I've kept Lancelot alive, he never sacrificed himself at the veil and never came back from the dead at Morgana's behest. So, those things are different. You've been warned.

Once lunch was delivered, Arthur and Merlin picked at the meat on their plates for a few minutes before Arthur gave up waiting and knocked Merlin's ankle with his foot. "Go on then, what came next?"

Merlin swallowed his chicken, setting the leg of meat down and thinking about it for a moment. They were getting into the events of the past year or so, and that included some heavy stuff. "The veil," he said simply, trusting Arthur to remember the events without any additional detail.

Arthur's expression grew solemn, and he nodded slowly. "Yes, I remember. What exactly did you do to stop that particular catastrophe?"

Merlin hesitated for a moment. "I sort of sacrificed myself to it, without actually dying."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Which means what?"

Merlin gnawed at his lip. "I intended to sacrifice myself entirely to stop you from doing it, but the veil took some of my life force instead and closed without taking me away."

"Why would it do that?" Arthur asked suspiciously.

"There are theories among the druids and the prophecies that suggest I may be immortal," Merlin revealed a little sourly. "I'm not very happy about it."

Arthur's eyebrows shot up and his mouth dropped open. "You're serious?"

"Unfortunately. I don't know for sure, but when things like that happens it makes me afraid I will indeed outlive you all." Merlin sighed heavily.

Arthur transitioned to a grim look, and he leveled a glare at Merlin. "Well, immortal or not, you really need to stop that."

"Stop what?" Merlin looked up to meet Arthur's gaze, confused.

Arthur threw up his hands in exasperation. "Sacrificing yourself for me! Or trying to, at least. I understand that you've made it your job to keep me alive, which I'm grateful for, I assure you, but your life is just as important, and I really wish you would stop trying to throw your life away for my sake."

"Arthur, you're the king. I think you need to get used to people being willing to die for you." Merlin crossed his arms almost petulantly.

"I understand that!" Arthur protested. "I just don't want to have to see my friends die for me."

Merlin nodded. "I know. How about if I promise not to do anything life threatening for no good reason?"

Arthur gave him a look. "That still lets you run off to do stupid things like offer your life to Nimueh."

"You're alive, aren't you?" Merlin huffed. "So am I, for that matter."

"You're impossible," Arthur sighed. "Fine, let's move on. We already discussed my father's passing, so please tell me you have a happier story to tell me."

"Uh...define happy..." Merlin hedged. The next event had been his rescuing of Aithusa's egg, and he wasn't sure how Arthur was going to react.

Arthur took another bite of his lunch and waved at Merlin. "Just get it over with, Merlin. What did you do?"

"I may have hatched the dragon egg," Merlin blurted, wincing in anticipation.

Arthur groaned aloud. "There's  _two_?" He glared at Merlin, but without any real heat.

"She's a baby!" Merlin protested. "If anything bad happens I can handle it. She has to listen to me." He trailed after a moment and frowned. "I should probably summon her and Kilgarrah and make sure he's able to start teaching her. Maybe I could actually help, now that I can prospectively have a dragon near Camelot without freaking everyone out."

"People will still panic, Merlin," Arthur pointed out. "I would be curious to meet your dragons though."

"Of course!" Merlin grinned at the thought. "They aren't mine though. It's more like we're kin."

"Right." Arthur clearly thought that was odd, but he didn't protest the idea. "What else has happened, then?"

"I helped you when an enchantment caused you to lose your sword while you were fighting Queen Annis' champion," Merlin offered.

Arthur moaned slightly at that. "Not one of my better moves as king," he admitted sourly. He had also had a bump in his relationship with Guinevere then, so all in all it wasn't a great memory.

"You made the right choices in the end," Merlin said firmly. "Everyone respected you for that."

"Perhaps you are right," Arthur allowed. "What next?"

Merlin winced. "I tried to kill you. Repeatedly. Apparently I'm a terrible assassin."

Arthur stared at him for a moment before asking, "You did what?"

"Remember when we got separated by the rockslide?" Merlin prompted. "Morgana got a hold of me and enchanted me with a dark creature called a femorrah. She tasked me with killing you, which thankfully I was bloody awful at, and Gaius and Gwen worked together to get the creature out of me so I could go back to normal."

Arthur continued to stare at him. "Guinevere knew?"

"I think they were trying to protect me by not telling anyone else," Merlin hurried to add. "It all turned out all right."

Arthur ran a hand through his hair and leaned back in the chair with a groan. "I swear, Merlin, something is always up with you. This is ridiculous."

"Hey, I didn't kill you!" Merlin offered. "I don't even think I used my magic against you."

"Well, that's something," Arthur muttered, chuckling to himself. "I suppose you are perfectly capable of killing me if you wanted to."

Merlin eyed him for a second. "I have the  _power_ to kill you if I wanted to," he corrected. "I don't think there's any way I'd be capable of it."

Arthur smiled at that and nodded his agreement. "Fair enough. Go on then, what happened after you failed to kill me?"

Merlin scowled. "Morgana and Agravaine had Gaius kidnapped to try and figure out who Emrys was. Morgana was terrified of me, but didn't know my identity, so they recruited a very powerful sorcerer to try and get it out of Gaius. His name is Alator, and he succeeded in making Gaius give me up, but when given the opportunity to reveal me he fought back against Morgana and pledged himself and his people to my service."

Arthur gaped at him for a moment, digesting that. "Wait, you have an army of sorcerers at your beck and call?"

Merlin started as if he hadn't quite thought of it like that. "Um...yes? I suppose. It's not like I'll ever use them. I mean, Alator would help protect Camelot or something if I really needed him to, but now that Morgana is dead I'm fairly certain your knights can handle most challenges that'll face the city."

Arthur took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Is there anything else I should know?" He asked wryly.

Merlin thought about it. "Mostly a lot of me helping out in the background," he admitted. "There was the lamia, then the thing with the druid ghost, then Morgana attacked Camelot again with her army -"

Arthur interrupted, "Surely you helped a little bit more during that whole fiasco," he pointed out. "I already know you made my sword, so what else happened during that attack?"

Merlin hesitated. "I may have enchanted you to force you to leave the city," he admitted reluctantly. "That's why everyone thought you were a simpleton."

Arthur growled under his breath at his servant, narrowly resisting the urge to slap him. "Only because I know that we came out on top in the end am I not more furious with you. Swear you will not do it again."

"I promise," Merlin replied immediately. "I didn't want to do it the first time, but you weren't listening to me."

Arthur sighed. "I will endeavour to follow your council more closely in the future. Happy?"

Merlin grinned. "Extremely."

"Then what else?" Arthur prompted.

Merlin sobered again, wincing at the additional revelation he had to make. "I'm the one who killed Agravaine," he admitted.

"If you hadn't I probably would have," Arthur said firmly.

Merlin felt him sigh with relief and he relaxed into the chair. "That's about it, then," he said, trying to remember if anything else especially important needed to be shared. "I mean, I've helped you survive bandits and such over the years and things like that, but those are the big events I can think of. Hopefully we don't add too many more to the list."

"Thank you for telling me everything," Arthur said, smiling slightly at Merlin slouching in his seat. "I suppose all that's left to do is review the new magic legislation and introduce you to the council as my new adviser."

Merlin rolled his eyes. "I'm sure that will go over well. I am looking forward to reviewing the laws with you though."

Arthur paused for a moment before offering, "You know, Merlin, King's manservant is actually a relatively lofty position among the staff. I know I usually have you running all over the place, but there's a lot that you're technically allowed to delegate. If you remain my servant only in terms of serving me directly and delegate everything else, you won't be run ragged by also serving as the court sor-I mean warlock."

"So you've had me mucking out the stables for no good reason this whole time?" Merlin asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Not no good reason!" Arthur protested. "It builds character."

Merlin snorted. "Right, well, I won't mind delegating that at all. I think we can make this work. It'll be a little odd to start, but we'll make it work. When do you want me to speak with the council?"

Arthur glanced out the window to judge the time. "Eh, tomorrow is soon enough. The drafts of the laws should be done by then as well. You especially have had a stressful few days, so I think a day of rest is perfectly allowable."

Merlin grinned and nodded. "Sounds good to me! Maybe in a day or two we can go out to the clearing and you can meet Kilgarrah." He glanced over at Arthur and laughed at the wary expression on the king's face.

Arthur huffed at him and nodded. "Sure," he allowed, "provided you're confident he's no longer a danger to Camelot."

"You'll be fine," Merlin scoffed. "Kilgarrah likes you, I told you that."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "You mentioned it. I suppose we'll just have to see, won't we?" 


	12. Chapter 12

Arthur had been gone for only a few moments, but he had gone to fetch his queen to allow her into the long overdue conversation she was owed. It was a good thing, but Merlin still found himself pacing back and forth in front of Arthur's fire place when the king returned to the room, Guinevere in tow. Her curiosity was plain on her face, and she nodded and smiled in greeting to Merlin as she walked in.

"Does this mean the two of you are finally going to tell me what happened?" She asked, allowing a bit of reproach to enter her tone.

Arthur and Merlin winced in unison, the king answering first. "I apologize for not explaining sooner," he offered, taking her hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I found that I needed some explanation myself before I could discuss this with anyone else."

Guinevere kissed Arthur lightly on the cheek and gave him a look full of understanding before moving forward to take Merlin's hands. "Merlin, I understand from the knights and the council meeting yesterday the bare essentials of what happened to you, but I haven't had a chance to ask you yet - are you all right?"

Merlin smiled and pulled his friend into a hug. "I'm fine, Gwen, I promise. Arthur got there in time, and I'm doing much better. I should back to normal in no time." After using his hands most of the day he had found that any remaining stiffness was fading away, which was a great sign.

Guinevere held his hands up until they were level with her face. "My brother tells me that your hands were shattered?" She asked, glancing pointedly at the evidence before her that Merlin's hands were just fine.

Arthur came up behind her and set his hand on her shoulder. "That's part of what we need to discuss. Shall we take a seat?"

Guinevere allowed herself to be guided to a seat at Arthur's table, eyeing her husband and her friend as they each sat down. "I'm waiting," she prompted, gesturing towards them.

Merlin glanced briefly at Arthur for a moment, relaxing when the king nodded that he should go ahead. "There's a lot you need to know," Merlin admitted. "First and foremost though, I have magic."

There was one slow beat in which nothing was said, then Guinevere burst out laughing and clapped her hands together. "I knew it!"

"You did not!" Merlin countered immediately, eyes wide with shock.

Guinevere settled down, but she was grinning. "Well no, I didn't _know_ for sure, but I had had suspicions before, Merlin. You aren't half as subtle as you like to think you are. When Arthur spoke to the council about what happened with Morgana and that he had decided to lift the ban on magic...I didn't  _know_ , but I certainly guessed."

Merlin gaped at her for a moment before allowing a broad smile to grace his face. "And...you're okay with it?"

"Merlin, you've been one of my closest friends for years," Guinevere said pointedly. "I got used to the idea a long time ago. I do wish you had told me, but I understand why you didn't."

Merlin stood quickly and moved to give Guinevere a big hug, which she immediately reciprocated. "Thank you," he said quietly. "It means a lot for the two of you to know and for it to not change anything."

"Who else knows?" Guinevere asked, raising an eyebrow.

Arthur held up fingers as he listed names. "Myself, Gaius, Sir Lancelot, and apparently all the druids."

Merlin flushed at the reminder of his destiny. "We're telling everyone else tomorrow," he explained. "Arthur wants to announce me as his magic adviser."

"You're being promoted?" Guinevere asked excitedly.

Shaking his head, Merlin stifled a laugh. "Not exactly. I'm staying at Arthur's side, but only in the capacity of personal servant. All the other outlying duties will go to other servants so I can work on the council and be an actual adviser. I didn't want to take on the full job because it's better for everyone if I stay where I am. Arthur gets himself into dangerous situations on nearly a daily basis."

"You're the one I just had to rescue from Morgana's clutches!" Arthur protested, eyes light with amusement. "I hardly think I'm the most danger prone."

Merlin snorted. "Keep telling yourself that, sire."

Arthur rolled his eyes, then leaned across the table to take Guinevere's hand. "Everyone will be finding out soon enough, but I didn't want to keep you in the dark, though it seems you have been more observant than myself anyway."

Guinevere smiled lovingly at both of them, shaking her head in amusement. "I never saw anything," she pointed out. "I just had my suspicions. If you really think about it, you probably have to, even if you never allowed yourself to think it."

Arthur considered that for a moment, nodding his head from side to side to indicate he wasn't entirely sure whether that was true or not. "I suppose it's a possibility."

"Here I thought I was good at hiding," Merlin said wryly.

"Irrelevant, because you won't have to anymore," Arthur said firmly.

Merlin grinned at that, shooting Arthur a grateful look. "I look forward to it." He relaxed as the three of them fell into a comfortable silence, waiting a moment before rising to leave. "You two should enjoy an afternoon off. I'm going to go see how Gaius is and let him know how all this went." He gestured vaguely to the king and queen, knowing Arthur would understand the need to let Gaius know the outcome of the day's revelations.

"Of course," Arthur assured him. As his servant turned to the door, Arthur added, "Merlin!" When the warlock turned back, Arthur instructed, "I expect to see you with my dinner this evening."

Merlin gave him an exaggerated bow and turned back to the door. "Of course, sire!" He called, disappearing into the hallway with a laugh.

As the door shut, Guinevere turned to her husband, smiling softly at him and raising an eyebrow. "So, Arthur. How are you talking all of this?"

Arthur let out a deep breath slowly, relaxing into his chair and rubbing his thumb over his wife's hand. "There's so much," he admitted. "So much I didn't know, so much I should have known, and I keep trying to figure out exactly how I feel about it all."

"Is it the magic?" Guinever asked, genuinely curious. "I assume not, given your sudden desire to overturn the ban."

"I'd actually been considering that for awhile," Arthur admitted. "It likely wouldn't have come about so soon, but I realized it was a necessity, what with Merlin and everything. Also, Morgana being out of the picture lessens the risk of such a move considerably, I think. In any case, you know my opinion on magic has changed quite a bit over the past few years. I'd like to believe I'm a better man than my father was. He was a great king, but I cannot deny that this is an issue in which we differ considerably."

Guinevere moved to sit in the chair closer to him, smiling warmly and with a light of pride in her eyes. "Arthur, the growth I have seen in you makes me so incredibly proud. You are doing the right thing for your people and your loved ones, and the entire kingdom cherishes you for it. You are a great king in the legacy of your father, but it is no secret that you will far surpass him."

Arthur smiled at her fondly, with no small amount of reciprocal pride for his wife. "I chose the perfect queen," he murmured. "You always know exactly what to say."

"Did your conversation with Merlin over this morning help give you peace?" Guinevere asked. The king had been in his chambers with his servant for hours, and Guinevere rightly assumed that Merlin had been recapping his various exploits.

Arthur paused for a moment before nodding. "It did. I feel a sense of anger, I think, that he never told me, but I also understand. Much as I hate that Morgana got her hands on him, I am grateful that the situation forced me to decide on my priorities so quickly. I think if I had been able to give into my initial shock and confusion, I may well have said something I would have regretted. Dealing with Morgana and saving Merlin first forced me to decide how I felt, and that really wasn't difficult at all. I told Merlin right away - I've never questioned his loyalty, and I don't plan to start now. We discussed everything he's done since coming to Camelot, and I may take a while to truly absorb it all and understand everything, but he's still  _Merlin_. I think any lingering hurt will quickly be forgiven. I don't think I even know how  _not_ to forgive him, honestly." Arthur chuckled to himself and shook his head. "It all seems so strange, and yet it makes perfect sense."

Guinevere sighed, relieved and pleased with the maturity she saw in her husband. "I agree completely," she told him. "I am sure I will hear some of those stories in the future, but I trust you and I trust Merlin, and that's enough for me. What do you plan to tell the council?"

Arthur blinked. "I should probably figure that out, shouldn't I?" He mused aloud, laughing when Guinevere gave him an exasperated look. "I'll just announce him as my adviser! I'll need his help reviewing the new legislation anyway, since he knows the most about magic. I want your help too," he added firmly. "You're far better with the law than I am anyway, despite the fact that I was trained in this stuff."

"You were raised to find it boring," Guinevere corrected, amused. "I find it fascinating."

"Which is why your help is invaluable," Arthur replied. "It could probably stand a review from the round table, from our friends, then it will be enacted. I hope this isn't too long of a process. I'm finding myself strangely anxious to get this all completed."

Guinevere smiled broadly. "You're eager for Merlin to be free," she clarified for him, kissing her husband on the cheek. "I am too."

"Yes, well." Arthur shuffled a little and coughed under his breath. "It's about time, I suppose. Hopefully the council doesn't put up too much of a fuss in the morning."

Guinevere shrugged, pursing her lips in consideration. "Some may, those who served your father, but I think you have shown yourself to be wise, Arthur. They'll follow your guidance."

Arthur relaxed at her words, nodding to himself. "I certainly hope so."


	13. Chapter 13

**Epilogue**

Merlin fussed with the tie at the front of his new cloak, uncomfortable in the formal clothing he was wearing. The only part of the outfit he didn't mind was the gold silk neck scarf he wore, a gift from Arthur. The rest of the outfit Merlin was fairly certain was a punishment.

"Merlin!" Guinevere chastised the warlock, moving forward to take the cords from his hands and re-tie the cloak. "Stop untying it," she warned him. "I know you're unused to it, but you'll become used to it soon enough."

"It's distracting," Merlin complained. "What use do I have for clothing like this anyway? I'm still a servant!"

"You're a part time servant," Arthur corrected, striding into the room with amusement on his face. "You're also an adviser now, and I need the council to take you seriously. You can pick different clothes, if you wish, but this will have to do for today. You almost look respectable."

Merlin made a face at his king, but sighed reluctantly at the pleading look on Guinevere's face. "Fine," he muttered. "After today though, definitely no cloak."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Very well." He sighed dramatically for emphasis, smirking at the look on his warlock's face. "Are nice clothes really such a chore?"

"It's mostly just the cloak," Merlin admitted. "The other stuff is just...different."

Guinevere tapped at the neck scarf significantly and raised an eyebrow.

"That's different!" Merlin protested, adjusting the scarf slightly.

Guinevere chuckled and gave Merlin a knowing smile before moving to her husband's side. "Shall we go?" She prompted.

Arthur turned and raised an eyebrow at Merlin. "That depends, is our warlock done complaining about his wardrobe?"

Merlin scowled at Arthur, but nodded. "Let's get this over with," he grumbled.

As the three of them left Arthur's chambers and headed for the council room, Arthur waved a hand in Merlin's direction and said, "You know, being on the council is a fairly big honour. The least you could do is be grateful."

"I am!" Merlin countered immediately. "Seriously, Arthur, I am." He paused, then grinned. "Doesn't mean I've suddenly developed a fondness for clothing that cost more than the chambers I live in!"

Guinevere snorted unattractively and covered it up with a cough.

"Merlin," Arthur said with exasperation, "they weren't  _that_ expensive. Don't be ridiculous."

Merlin decided to let the topic drop, and followed Arthur and Guinevere as they opened the doors and stepped into the council chamber. The round table was already surrounded by the council, most of whom were Merlin's friends. 

"Good morning, everyone," Arthur greeted the council, reaching his seat and waiting for Guinevere and Merlin to flank him before taking his seat.

Merlin felt a little awkward sitting down at the table on Arthur's right, but at the same time it felt like the most natural place in the world. If the looks everyone was giving him were any indication, then he wasn't the only one who thought it felt right.

Guinevere was beaming at him proudly from her normal place on Arthur's left, and Gaius too looked exceptionally proud from his seat.

"I know this was formally announced quite a while ago, but this is Merlin's first official council meeting, so I thought we would take a moment to welcome him," Arthur announced.

Merlin flushed as everyone clapped, the clamour far louder than he thought was necessary. "Thanks," he offered awkwardly, reaching up to rub at his new neck scarf nervously.

Arthur smiled fondly at him, then straightened his shoulders and turned to the rest of the table. "Now, shall we discuss the new legislation?"

Merlin listened carefully as the discussion of new magic laws began, a comfortability with his new position in life growing as he realized how much everything had changed for the better. It would be a long road to Albion, but he and Arthur were now a united front in a way they never had been before.

For the first time, all was truly well in Camelot.


End file.
